The trade tension between Japan and S. Korea is getting hotter. (Image: Anadolu Agency)

S. Korea asks Japan to reconsider white list

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Politics & Economic
News Flash Japan
Jul 24, 2019
2297
The trade tension between the 2 ruling Asian countries in terms of technology is getting more rigid in its wake. By South Korea’s (S. Korea) provocation against Japan by overcompensating the wartime forced labor, Japan is not going to let it pass by.

Japan is ready to take the trade friction even further. Starting from the tighter control of core tech materials and chemicals import to S. Korea, Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, stated that it was possible that S. Korea would be removed from Japan’s “white list” countries.

The plan and decision for the revision of S. Korea’s removal are waiting for public opinion pools, which was closed by Wednesday (24/7).

This “white list” covers all the countries that have the advantage of lower trade restrictions with Japan. Since 2003, S. Korea has been included in the list.

Looking that Japan seems to be serious about the removal, Minister of Industry of S. Korea, Sung Yoon-mo, stated that the removal is going to strain the 60-year bilateral economic and security cooperation between Japan and S. Korea. Until now, there are 27 countries included in the “white list”.

If Japan’s plan succeeds, then Japan will also need a license to ship about 850 military-related components to S. Korea. S. Korea was also rumored to block its joint military cooperation as regulated in the 2016 General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between Japan and S. Korea.

Furthermore, Sung addressed his worry that the removal was against the international regulations and norms and would disrupt the global value chains & free trade continuity. Ministry of Industry of S. Korea was said to have sent an official e-mail to the Japanese government in request to abort the removal plan.

For the Deputy Minister of Trade of S. Korea, Kim Seung-ho, Japan had gone too far. In the WTO General Council’s meeting in Geneva from 23-24 July, the deputy minister brought up the trade tension between S. Korea and Japan. Kim Seung-ho noted that if Japan proceeded to remove S. Korea from its “white list”, Japan would violate WTO’s regulations even further.

The U.S is not going to stay quiet about the trade tension between its 2 companions. The U.S National Security Advisor, John Bolton, had arrived in Seoul on Tuesday (23/7) after visiting Japan. Of course, Bolton’s state visitation is not without reason. The main reason was to discuss the settlement of the trade tension between Japan and S. Korea.

On his previous visit to Japan, Bolton discussed the trade tension with Japanese National Security Advisor, Shotaro Yachi, and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taro Kono. On Wednesday, Bolton wanted to meet S. Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kang Kyung-wha, S. Korean Minister of Defense, Jeong Kyeong-doo, and the Chief of Presidential National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong.

Bolton’s agendas in Seoul are to discuss the bilateral relations between the U.S and S. Korea, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and of course, the settlement of trade tension between Japan and S. Korea.

Source: http://www.ejinsight.com/20190724-japan-asked-to-cancel-plan-to-remove-south-korea-from-white-list/

Politics , Asia , Trade-War , Japan , S.Korea , U.S , Export-Import , White-list