South Korea and Japan are due for a showdown this Friday at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
They'll be looking to resolve their trade conflict, with Seoul having filed a complaint over Japan's trade curbs on Korea.
Kan Hyeong-woo has more.
Trade officials from Seoul and Tokyo are meeting at the World Trade Organization in Geneva on Friday local time... to discuss Japan's export restrictions on South Korea.
Bilateral talks at the WTO are usually carried out at the working-level,... but given the importance of the matter, Seoul requested higher-level talks.
As a result, South Korean trade ministry's Director General for Trade Legal Affairs, Chung Hae-kwan is set to sit down with his Japanese counterpart ( )Junichiro Kuroda.
"We are going to clearly point out how Japan's actions violate WTO agreements and what we think is the problem. Based on that, we are trying to find an agreeable solution that can satisfy both sides."
The official added that he plans to seek an early resolution with his Japanese counterpart.
If, however, the talks do not go well, Seoul is expected to send a formal request to set up a dispute settlement body at the WTO to make a ruling on the matter.
In July, Tokyo imposed export restrictions on South Korea on three high-tech materials, which are crucial for the production of semiconductors and displays.
The South Korean government has been stressing that Japan's export curbs violate WTO rules and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News.