'Blind men': End of South Korea-Japan pact undermines bid to understand North Korea threats

FILE PHOTO: A police officer stands guard near Japan and South Korea national flags at hotel, where South Korean embassy in Japan is holding the reception to mark the 50th anniversary of normalisation of ties between Seoul and Tokyo, in Tokyo June 22, 2015. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo

SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - South Korea's decision to scrap an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan could harm efforts to understand threats from North Korea, and potentially weaken the ability to monitor its missile launches, officials and analysts say.

South Korea's announcement on Thursday that it would abandon the accord drew a swift protest from Tokyo and ratcheted up the neighbours' feud over history and trade. The agreement had been due for automatic renewal on Saturday.