Tripartite discussions between the South Korea, Japan and the United States are to take place later this week, the Yonhap News Agency has reported, with a focus on increased cooperation in intelligence sharing.

Long touted as a way for the two U.S. allies to form a united front against North Korea, cooperation between South Korea and Japan remains controversial due to Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. A similar military intelligence-sharing agreement between the two collapsed two years ago due to domestic resistance in South Korea.