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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 9 July 2019
SKorea’s Moon calls for diplomatic solution to trade spat

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Korea was allowing chemi-
Associated Press cals exported from Japan
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) to flow to North Korea,
— South Korea’s president Japanese Deputy Chief
said Monday the country Cabinet Secretary Yasu-
is committed to finding a toshi Nishimura said without
diplomatic solution to a bit- providing details that there
ter dispute over tightened had been a case of inap-
Japanese control of ex- propriate use.
ports of high-tech materials An official in South Ko-
used by South Korean com- rea’s presidential office
panies to produce semi- denied the suspicions dur-
conductors and displays. ing a background briefing,
In a meeting with senior saying that the country
aides, President Moon Jae- was properly implement-
in called for Japan to with- ing international sanctions
draw what he described against North Korea over its
as a politically motivated nuclear weapons program
measure and for “sincere” and that there was no evi-
bilateral discussions on the South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, speaks during a meeting with senior aides at the dence backing the Japa-
issue. He said South Korea presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 8, 2019. nese claim.
would be left no choice but Associated Press The Japanese move to
to take countermeasures if South Korea’s Trade Minis- it poses to global supply Japan’s export restrictions, control exports triggered
the Japanese trade con- try has said Seoul plans to chains ... there’s global which went into effect last an angry response in South
trols damage South Korean file a complaint with the concern over the move Thursday, cover fluorinated Korea, where many be-
companies. World Trade Organization to limit mutually benefi- polyimides, which are used lieve Japan still hasn’t fully
Last week, Japan removed over the “unjust” Japanese cial trade between civilian in organic light-emitting acknowledged responsibil-
South Korea from a list of na- action. The South Korean companies for political pur- diode (OLED) screens for ity for atrocities committed
tions with which it minimally government sees the Japa- poses,” Moon said. TVs and smartphones, and during its colonial occupa-
restricts trade and ordered nese move as retaliation for “A vicious cycle created photoresist and hydrogen tion of Korea from 1910 to
a more stringent approval recent South Korean court by measures and coun- fluoride, which are used for 1945.
process for shipments of rulings ordering Japanese termeasures wouldn’t be making semiconductors. Thousands of South Kore-
photoresist and other key corporations to compen- ideal for both countries. But Japanese officials insist ans have signed petitions
chemicals to South Korea. sate South Korean plain- if South Korean companies the decision to end pref- posted by citizens on the
The move came amid de- tiffs for forced labor during begin experiencing actual erential treatment for such presidential office’s web-
teriorating relations be- World War II. damages, our government exports to South Korea re- site that called for boycotts
tween the countries over “The recent trade curbs would have no choice but sulted from a lack of trust of Japanese products and
issues related to Japan’s imposed by Japan have to take a necessary re- that posed a risk to national travel to Japan. One peti-
brutal colonial rule of the raised concern over disrup- sponse,” he said, adding security. tion demanded that South
Korean Peninsula before tion in production for our that he hopes things don’t When asked about suspi- Korea boycott next year’s
the end of World War II. companies and the threat come to that. cions in Japan that South Tokyo Summer Olympics. q

Parts of southern India facing acute water shortage

By ASHOK SHARMA nai, the state capital, by hir- two days,” a resident told
Associated Press ing two tank trucks to bring the New Delhi Television
NEW DELHI (AP) — With water every day at a cost news channel without giv-
the government able to of 4,000 rupees ($57) each. ing his name.
meet only 40% of the wa- “There has been no im- The state government says
ter requirement, millions provement in the situation the drought followed a
of people in the southern in the past month,” Shan- 62% shortfall in monsoon
Indian state of Tamil Nadu kar said, adding that some rains last year compared to
are depending on water companies have asked 2017. “The situation is very
tank trucks because of an employees to work from critical in the state, and
acute shortage caused by home, and that some res- without rain it’s not going
drying lakes and depleted taurants are closing early. to improve,” said Raghvan,
groundwater. Apart from people hiring director of the Rain Centre,
Sekhar Raghvan, a water private water tank trucks, a private institute promot-
expert, said Monday that the state government has ing water harvesting and
taps were running dry, but deployed 900 water trucks sanitation in India. In this June 19, 2019, file photo, Indians stand in queues to fill
that meteorologists ex- in Chennai to distribute This year’s June-September vessels filled with drinking water from a water tanker in Chennai,
pect rain in the state this water free to the poorest, monsoon arrived in the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
week and people are pin- Raghvan said. Those who southern state of Kerala a Associated Press
ning their hopes on that. can afford it can also buy week late and slowly start- Department. Chennai is In- 85% of its water during
It rained for a while in the water from the tankers. ed moving to other parts dia’s sixth-largest city, with the monsoon season. It
state two weeks ago, but Television images showed of country. India is facing a population of around 10 gets some rain during the
not enough to replenish people lining up for water a more than 21% shortfall million. It is a major desti- southwest June-September
water bodies. cans in Chennai and oth- in monsoon rains across nation for medical tourism, monsoon, but it benefits
Gauri Shankar, a hotel gen- er cities and towns in the the country because of its and Tamil Nadu state is a mainly from the northeast
eral manager, said he was state. late arrival, according to car manufacturing hub. monsoon from October to
running his hotel in Chen- “I take a bath once every the India Meteorological Chennai gets about 80- December.q