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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 10 July 2019

Japan says it won’t discuss or retract SKorea export rules

By MARI YAMAGUCHI simplified procedures be-
KIM TONG-HYUNG fore to Korea, but now we
Associated Press changed, and just normal
TOKYO (AP) — Japan said procedures will be applied
Tuesday it does not plan - are applied - to (South)
to retract or renegotiate Korea.”
its stricter controls on high- “So this is perfectly in con-
tech exports to South Ko- formity with our obligations
rea, a day after the South to the WTO,” he added,
Korean president urged declining to comment fur-
that the issue be resolved ther. In Japan, comments
through diplomacy. from Abe and other officials
Tokyo tightened the ap- have been more pointed.
proval process for Japa- “South Korea says it is ad-
nese shipments of photo- equately abiding by the
resists and other sensitive sanctions and that it is
materials to South Korean properly carrying out ex-
companies last week. port controls. But South Ko-
Japanese officials say such rea, with its handling of the
materials can be exported former Korean wartime la-
only to trustworthy trading borers issues, clearly dem-
partners, hinting at security onstrated that it is a country
risks without citing specific that does not keep prom-
cases. They have rejected South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha answers questions during a plenary session at ises. Naturally, we have to
suggestions that the move National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 9, 2019. assume it also fails to keep
was driven by a worsen- Associated Press promises on export con-
ing in ties between the two ruptions for South Korean based on a lack of trust country affected by the trols,” Abe said Sunday on
countries related to histori- manufacturers and global that posed a risk to national measure, and expressed a Fuji Television talk show.
cal issues. supply chains, he said. security. concerns that Japan was On another Fuji talk show
“The measure is not a sub- Japan’s trade measures They haven’t elaborated also reviewing whether to last week, Koichi Hagiuda,
ject for consultation and followed recent South Ko- on the alleged security risks, further tighten trade mea- a senior lawmaker in Abe’s
we have no intention of rean court rulings ordering but Japanese Prime Minis- sures, according to a Ge- Liberal Democratic Party,
withdrawing it either,” Japanese companies to ter Shinzo Abe and his con- neva-based trade official said some chemical ex-
Chief Cabinet Secretary compensate South Korean servative aides have hinted who relayed the ambas- ports were unaccounted
Yoshihide Suga said at a plaintiffs for forced labor there may have been il- sador’s comments in the for. A day later, former de-
news conference. during World War II, when legal transfers of sensitive closed-door meeting of the fense minister Itsunori On-
He was responding to South South Korea was a colony materials from South Korea WTO Goods Council. Am- odera mentioned a South
Korean President Moon of Japan. to North Korea. bassador Paik declined to Korean newspaper report
Jae-in’s appeal for a diplo- The export restrictions cov- South Korea’s Trade Min- speak to reporters after the in May about illegal ship-
matic solution through “sin- er fluorinated polyimides, istry said Seoul plans to file meeting. ments of sensitive materi-
cere” bilateral discussions, which are used in organic a complaint at the World Japan’s envoy in Geneva, als that could have ended
urging Tokyo to withdraw light-emitting diode (OLED) Trade Organization. Junichi Ihara, countered up in North Korea and Iran
what he described as a po- screens for TVs and smart- At a WTO meeting its Ge- that the Japanese mea- via third countries. It did not
litically motivated measure. phones, and photoresist neva headquarters on sures didn’t amount to a cite any sources.
Moon said Monday his and hydrogen fluoride, Tuesday, South Korea’s am- trade embargo, but rather South Korea denied the
country would be forced used for making semicon- bassador warned that the a review of export controls allegations, summoning a
to take countermeasures if ductors. Japanese measures would based on security con- Japanese Embassy official
the restrictions on the ma- Japanese officials say have repercussions for cerns, according to the to protest Abe’s sugges-
terials, used mainly in semi- those chemicals are sensi- electronic products world- trade official. tion that it could not be
conductors and displays, tive materials that could be wide — including in Japan “I simply said that our mea- trusted to faithfully imple-
cause damage to South used in fighter jets, radars — and called on Tokyo to sures are just the change ment sanctions against
Korean companies. The and chemical weapons. withdraw them. of application of proce- North Korea, Foreign Minis-
trade curbs have raised They say the decision to Ambassador Paik Ji-ah said dures,” Ihara told reporters try spokesman Kim In-chul
concern over possible dis- tighten export controls was South Korea was the only afterward. “We applied the said Tuesday.q