S. Korea brings issue of Japan's new trade curbs to WTO meeting
- 5 years ago
As tensions escalate between South Korea and Japan over the new export curbs imposed by Tokyo on key chemicals to Seoul,... the South Korean government has raised the issue at the World Trade Organization.
Seoul's envoy to Geneva strongly criticized Tokyo's move... urging the Japanese government to withdraw its restrictions immediately. Tokyo denies it has violated WTO rules.
Kim Hyo-sun has more on this ongoing trade spat between the neighboring countries.
The South Korean government stressed Japan's new trade restrictions go against the principle of free trade,... strongly condemning the move at a WTO meeting on Tuesday.
While the issue was not on the agenda for the WTO Council for Trade Goods,... Seoul raised it as an issue to be dealt with during the two-day meeting.
South Korea's Ambassador to Geneva Paik Ji-ah called for Tokyo's prompt withdrawal of the export restrictions.
The envoy also reiterated the grounds for such action claimed by Tokyo are invalid under the current WTO rules.
The Japanese government is insisting its move is not a trade embargo.
"I simply said that our measures are just the change of application of procedures. We applied the simplified procedures before to Korea, but now we changed, and just normal procedures will be applied, are applied, to Korea. So this is perfectly in conformity with our obligations to the WTO."
Seoul's envoy also warned the trade curbs would have repercussions for the global electronics industry - including Japan.
The South Korean government also plans to raise the issue at a general council meeting of the WTO,... which is slated to take place in two weeks.
Tensions between Seoul and Tokyo escalated over the recent days following Japan's restrictions on exports of key high-tech components used to make semiconductors and display panels to South Korea.
Such a move is seen as an apparent response to the South Korean Supreme Court's rulings awarding compensation to victims of Tokyo's wartime forced labor by Japanese firms.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
Seoul's envoy to Geneva strongly criticized Tokyo's move... urging the Japanese government to withdraw its restrictions immediately. Tokyo denies it has violated WTO rules.
Kim Hyo-sun has more on this ongoing trade spat between the neighboring countries.
The South Korean government stressed Japan's new trade restrictions go against the principle of free trade,... strongly condemning the move at a WTO meeting on Tuesday.
While the issue was not on the agenda for the WTO Council for Trade Goods,... Seoul raised it as an issue to be dealt with during the two-day meeting.
South Korea's Ambassador to Geneva Paik Ji-ah called for Tokyo's prompt withdrawal of the export restrictions.
The envoy also reiterated the grounds for such action claimed by Tokyo are invalid under the current WTO rules.
The Japanese government is insisting its move is not a trade embargo.
"I simply said that our measures are just the change of application of procedures. We applied the simplified procedures before to Korea, but now we changed, and just normal procedures will be applied, are applied, to Korea. So this is perfectly in conformity with our obligations to the WTO."
Seoul's envoy also warned the trade curbs would have repercussions for the global electronics industry - including Japan.
The South Korean government also plans to raise the issue at a general council meeting of the WTO,... which is slated to take place in two weeks.
Tensions between Seoul and Tokyo escalated over the recent days following Japan's restrictions on exports of key high-tech components used to make semiconductors and display panels to South Korea.
Such a move is seen as an apparent response to the South Korean Supreme Court's rulings awarding compensation to victims of Tokyo's wartime forced labor by Japanese firms.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.