SKorea plans filing complaint over Japan trade spat

Japan has announced plans to tighten its controls on high-tech exports to South Korea, a move in which Seoul sees as retaliation for recent court rulings on forced labour during World War II.

Seoul:South Korea plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over Japan's new trade restrictions. In a parliamentary interpellation, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha said that the ministry is seeking an immediate retraction of such retaliatory measures.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon also said that Seoul is open to bilateral meetings with Japan, including a bilateral summit between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Japan recently announced plans to tighten its controls on high-tech exports to South Korea, a move in which Seoul sees as retaliation for recent court rulings on forced labour during World War II.

During a press briefing on Tuesday in Seoul, South Korean Trade Minister Sung Yun-mo expressed suspicions that South Korea was allowing chemicals exported from Japan to flow to North Korea.

Sung emphasised upon the emergency investigation report which shows no evidence regarding the allegations made by Japanese officials.

Sung urged Tokyo to stop making groundless claims against Seoul.

Japan's export restrictions cover fluorinated polyimides, which are used in organic light-emitting diode screens for TV's and smartphones, and photoresist and hydrogen fluoride, used for making semiconductors.