Korea renews calls on Japan to enforce security laws in peaceful manner

South Korea on Tuesday renewed its calls for Japan to enforce a new package of contentious security laws in a way that contributes to regional peace and stability, as the laws took effect at midnight.

The effectuation of the laws marked a significant shift in Tokyo's exclusively defensive security policy as they enable its Self-Defense Forces to exercise the right to collective self-defense, or the use of force to support its ally under attack, which used to be banned under the country's war-renouncing constitution.

The South, a onetime colony of Japan, has remained cautious over the laws, as Japan under its conservative leader Shinzo Abe has appeared reluctant to fully atone for its wartime atrocities including the sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.

"We have maintained our long-held position that Japan's security policy must be implemented in a way that upholds the spirit of the country's pacifist constitution and contributes to regional peace and stability, and also in a transparent manner,"

Seoul's Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said during a regular press briefing.

"In line with this stance, we will continue to take note of Japan's security policy direction."

Under Article 9 of Japan's constitution, the island nation is banned from participating in any collective security activities.

But the Tokyo government has pushed to lift its self-imposed restrictions on the use of force by altering its interpretation of the pacifist article.

Under hawkish Prime Minister Abe's mantra of "active contribution" to peace or "active pacifism," Tokyo has been pushing to expand the scope of its military operations including peacekeeping activities around the world.

Such efforts came as the conservative leader has been striving to make Japan a "normal state" with a full-fledged military and strengthen the country's treaty alliance with the U.S. in the face of an increasingly assertive China and a nuclear-ambitious North Korea. (Yonhap)