Tokyo/Seoul, August 2: Japan on Friday said it would be removing South Korea from Japan’s “white list” of fast-track export status, while drawing threats from Seoul’s firm and further worsening relations that have already been stressed by a trade dispute and compensation issue of wartime forced labourers.
According to Reuters news reports, industry minister Hiroshige Seko, addressing media briefing, said the decision was upheld for national security concerns after the cabinet meeting and that it wasn’t intended to cause harm to Japan-South Korea bilateral ties.
Later on Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold a cabinet meeting to discuss Japanese stance over the matter, the president’s official said.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha stated Tokyo was acting in a “unilateral and arbitrary manner”. S Korea has strongly protested against Japan’s action, mainly after Japan tightened its exports curbs on high-tech materials in July.
Addressing a regional meeting in Bangkok, Kang said, “We’re gravely concerned by the decision to say the least, this coming in particular in footsteps of earlier decision that restricts some key export items to Korea.”
Seko told a media briefing, “We are in a situation where we cannot hold a dialogue with trust,” adding, “We want South Korea to first create an environment in which we can have dialogue with trust. It’s South Korea’s responsibility to do that.”
Japan said the compensation issue has been settled by a 1965 pact that normalized relations between the two sides.
Seko has said Tokyo was not willing to hold direct talks with Seoul until it corrected its statement made out in July talks between bureaucrats of the two sides.