The South Korean government has completed steps to fully normalize the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA with Japan.

The foreign ministry said on Tuesday that Tokyo was informed via diplomatic channels that Seoul was withdrawing two diplomatic notes sent in 2019 about the military information-sharing pact.

In August 2019, the Moon Jae-in administration sent a diplomatic note conveying its decision to terminate GSOMIA in protest against Tokoyo's export curbs, only to send another note three months later relaying Seoul’s decision to suspend the termination.

The retraction of the two diplomatic notes is regarded to have fully normalized the uncertain legal status of the accord and is viewed as a follow-up measure to the South Korea-Japan summit held last Thursday.

The foreign ministry said the latest step has laid a firm foundation for Seoul and Tokyo as well as the two countries and the U.S. to strengthen cooperation in military intelligence by eliminating the uncertainty surrounding GSOMIA.