South Korea decided Friday not to let lapse the bilateral military information sharing agreement with Japan. The unexpected move, which came only hours before the pact was to have been terminated, was greeted with relief in Tokyo and Washington. It is an important recognition of the value of that agreement.

Significantly, however, Seoul has emphasized that the move is "provisional" — much depends on discussions between the two governments on the broader state of bilateral relations, in particular, Japan's readiness to restore South Korea to its "white list" of countries with which it trades. And while both governments insist otherwise, that, in turn, rests on their ability to resolve contentious historical issues that continue to poison ties.

Seoul said three months ago that it would not renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a pact concluded with Japan three years ago that allows the two countries to exchange confidential information on security threats, most notably those posed by North Korea. For all the controversy it has generated, GSOMIA is a routine and basic document that merely outlines the form by which such exchanges should occur. Many militaries have them and they are not usually the subject of dispute.