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WORLD NEWS Saturday 13 april 2019

WTO upholds South Korean ban on Fukushima seafood

By KIM TONG-HYUNG after the Tokyo Electric sidered safe in most areas.
MARI YAMAGUCHI Power Company revealed Still, more than 20 coun-
Associated Press that highly contaminated tries and areas keep their
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) water leaked from a stor- import ban or restrictions
— The World Trade Orga- age tank at a crippled on Japanese fisheries and
nization has upheld South nuclear plant in Fukushima agricultural products, al-
Korea’s import ban on Jap- that was submerged by a though the number had
anese seafood from areas massive tsunami in 2011. come down from 54 soon
affected by the 2011 nu- Japan launched a com- after the disaster. The gov-
clear disaster in Fukushima, plaint with the WTO over the ernment of Prime Minister
overturning a ruling by a ban in 2015, saying that the Shinzo Abe has pushed ag-
lower panel last year that radioactive levels of sea- ricultural exports as a main
said Seoul was unfairly dis- food from the areas were part of its economic growth
criminating against Japa- safe. The ruling by WTO’s strategy.
nese products. Yoon Chang-yul, second from right, a senior official at the appellate body reversed South Korea’s imports of
Prime Minister’s Office, announces the government’s stance on
The decision is a setback for the World Trade Organization’s ruling in favor of South Korea ‘s key points of a verdict by Japanese seafood have
Japan, which has promot- import ban on Japanese seafood at the government complex a lower dispute panel last declined significantly since
ed Fukushima’s recovery in Sejong, South Korea, Friday, April 12, 2019. year that supported Japa- the 2013 ban. South Korea
from the nuclear disaster Associated Press nese claims that the South imported about 20,000 tons
and the safety of its agricul- the import ban reversed Yoon said the WTO ruling Korean measures exces- to 30,000 tons of pollack
tural and fisheries products through bilateral talks with allows Seoul to maintain sively restricted trade and and mackerel from Japan
ahead of next year’s Sum- South Korea. Japanese the ban “indefinitely” until were “arbitrarily or unjustifi- in 2010, but the volume
mer Olympics in Tokyo. Foreign Minister Taro Kono it views the safety concerns ably discriminating” against dropped below 3,000 tons
South Korea on Friday summoned South Korean as fully resolved. When Japanese food products. in 2018 with the country
welcomed the decision Ambassador Lee Su-hoon asked about the possibility The appellate body said continuing to buy more fish
and said it will continue to to convey Tokyo’s displea- of the seafood ban fuel- the panel failed to con- from alternative sources like
block all fishery products sure. ing larger trade and diplo- sider whether the methods Russia and Norway, Yoon
from Fukushima and seven “The government will con- matic disputes, he said that of contamination testing said. “Easing and lifting of
neighboring prefectures to tinue to maintain and “hopefully, that won’t hap- proposed by Japan would import restrictions related
ensure “only foods that are strengthen our quarantine pen.” fully satisfy South Korean to the Fukushima Dai-ichi
confirmed as safe are put sovereignty and safety South Korea broadened protection standards. nuclear power plant acci-
on the table.” net,” said Yoon Chang- initial import restrictions to The Fukushima plant has dent is an extremely impor-
Japan said the WTO rul- yul, an official from South a blanket ban covering all now been significantly sta- tant issue,” said Yoshihide
ing was “extremely regret- Korea’s Office for Govern- seafood products from the bilized and radiation has Suga, Japan’s chief Cabi-
table” and vowed to get ment Policy Coordination. eight prefectures in 2013, come down to levels con- net secretary. q

Malaysia revives China-backed rail link, cost cut by a third

By EILEEN NG comed the signing of a benefit Malaysia and light-
Associated Press supplementary agreement en the burden on the coun-
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia between Malaysia Rail try’s financial position,” the
(AP) — Malaysia’s govern- Link Sendirian Berhad and statement said.
ment said Friday it has de- state-owned China Com- Prime Minister Mahathir Mo-
cided to resume a China- munications Construction hamad will give further de-
backed rail link project, af- Company Ltd. to revive the tails at a news conference
ter the Chinese contractor project. on Monday, it added.
agreed to cut construction The agreement covering The government last year
cost by one-third. engineering, construction suspended works on the
The deal ended months of and other aspects of the rail link pending renegotia-
vacillating over the 688-kilo- project followed months of tions.
meter (430-mile) East Coast negotiations. Mahathir initially suggested
Rail Link, which connects It said the construction cost the rail project will be called
Malaysia’s west coast to of the first two phases of off because the high cost
eastern rural states and is a the project will be cut to 44 could burden the country
key part of China’s Belt and billion ringgit ($10.7 billion), with debts for decades. But
Road infrastructure initia- down one-third from the he later said negotiations
tive. In this Sept. 8, 2017, photo, visitors view a scale model of the original cost of 65.5 billion were ongoing and the gov-
ECRL (East Coast Rail Link) during the launching of the train
The prime minister’s office project in Kuantan, east coast of peninsula Malaysia. ringgit ($15.9 billion). ernment hadn’t made a fi-
said in a statement it wel- Associated Press “This reduction will surely nal decision.q