The head of Japan’s navy is to resign after more than 200 military officials were punished for misconduct including the mishandling of classified materials.
The scandal has rocked Japan’s defence ministry as Tokyo has sought to play a bigger security role in co-operation with the US and other allies to boost regional deterrence against China.
The ministry said on Friday that it had found 38 incidents at the Maritime Self-Defence Force in which individuals without security clearance gained access to classified information on warship movements. According to its investigation, there was no leak of classified materials outside of the military.
Other officials were disciplined for allegedly claiming pay for duties they did not perform and harassing junior ranks by hitting tables and raising their voice. Punishments ranged from dismissals and pay cuts to reprimands.
“We are deeply sorry for betraying the public trust,” Minoru Kihara, the defence minister, said on Friday, pledging to return one month of his pay.
Admiral Ryo Sakai, the MSDF’s chief of staff, said he would step down as of July 19, adding that the incidents should not affect Japan’s plans to increase military spending.
“We believe the root cause lies in the absence of a law-abiding spirit among officials and the lack of our organisation’s governance capability,” Sakai said at a news conference.
Even before the scandal, officials in the US and other countries had expressed concerns about Japan’s security vetting system. Tokyo has taken steps recently to bring its measures in line with international standards.
Japan’s handling of sensitive information has come under renewed scrutiny after it agreed to deepen co-operation on military intelligence with allies such as the US and Australia. It is also jointly developing a new fighter jet with the UK and Italy.
Under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the country has significantly expanded its defence spending to counter China’s rising military assertiveness and make bigger contributions to allied security efforts in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the government has faced public opposition to funding its strengthened defence posture through tax increases.
In its annual white paper released on Friday, the defence ministry said China was expanding its military activities across the entire region surrounding Japan and around Taiwan, presenting “an unprecedented and the greater strategic challenge”.
“Because of that increase in military activity, we cannot discount the possibility of heightened tensions,” the white paper said.
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