Japanese Self-Defense Forces Support U.S. Battle

Japanese Self-Defense Forces Support U.S. Battle. December. 12, 2004 23:22. by Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com.

On December 12, according to Asahi Shimbun, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. army established a code name “5055” operating plan under the assumption of the war on the Korean peninsula in 2002.

The Self-Defense Forces include supporting the U.S. battle on the Korean peninsula and independently defending major facilities including the U.S. camps and nuclear power plants in order to prepare for North Korea’s armed espionage agents’ penetration into Japan.

According to Asahi Shimbun, this plan was agreed to by both U.S. and Japanese militaries since 9/11 and “The New Defense Plan Guidelines” that the Japanese government decided on Dec. 10 was also framed based on this assumption.

Major contents are that the Self-Defense Forces will exclusively defend against North Korea’s armed espionage agents’ penetration into Japan.

Specifically, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces will guard 135 facilities including the U.S. bases and nuclear power plants.

The Marine Self-Defense Forces will set up convoys and patrol forces along the coast line near nuclear power plants. It will also secure marine ways between the Korean peninsula and Northern Kyushu by elimination of mines.

The Air Self-Defense Forces will transport refugees from the Korean peninsula with C-130 transportation planes, patrolling with early warning systems.

Concerning the U.S. army, the Self-Defense Forces will support in search and rescue for the U.S. missing soldiers, and directly support in ensuring the security of the U.S. going-out-to-attack bases, supply facilities, and harbors.

There have been different opinions over the scope of North Korea’s espionage agents who penetrate Japan. For example, the Japan Self-Defense Forces side estimated thousands of North Korean spies while the U.S. side presumed hundreds of spies, but the U.S. opinion was accepted. As a result, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will solely manage against the North Korean spies.

According to the “5055” operating plan, the Self-Defense Forces changed its operating priority into defense against penetration and adjusted half tasks of about 20 regimental forces in Hokkaido into the metropolitan area defense this year.

Setting up the New Defense Plan Guidelines this year, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces were strongly opposed to the Treasury Ministry’s reduction proposal of 40,000 from full capacity, showing an example that approximately 60,000 Korean soldiers were mobilized for 50 days for the operation of mopping up about 20 North Korean spies in 1996.

In conclusion, the full capacity was decreased by 5,000 people, but the real scope of applicable forces remained at present.