정부 "일본과 양자협의 방식 조율중…원칙적으로 만날 뜻 표명"
Japan, meanwhile, has shown its willingness to talk about the trade restrictions... according to South Korean government officials... just a few hours ago.
The two sides are now reportedly arranging the time and place of their bilateral meeting.
This, while Japanese officials are echoing Prime Minister Abe's claim that South Korea has lost Japan's trust.
Our Kim Da-mi reports.
South Korea and Japan are planning a bilateral meeting to discuss the trade restrictions.
South Korea's trade ministry said Monday that Japan last week showed a willingness to talk,... just not now.
Details, though, such as the date, who will attend and the agenda are still under discussion.
Meanwhile,... Japanese officials are blaming what they call a loss of trust as the cause of the export restrictions.
The Japanese ambassador to South Korea, Yasumasa Nakamine met for an hour Monday with the chairman of the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee, Yoon Sang-hyun.
He told Yoon that trust was damaged by Seoul's unresponsiveness since last October to Japan's requests for diplomatic talks... and to Japan's request for an arbitration committee to handle the historical issue of forced labor.
That's the dispute over Japanese companies forcing Koreans to work for them during World War Two.
But the ambassador said it's about more than that.
It's about a political issue that needs to be solved through political means.
The South Korean lawmaker Yoon commented to reporters that what might bring Japan to the table is better proposals.
If Seoul doesn't change course, Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that Tokyo is considering even more export restrictions, this time on machine tools and carbon fiber.
KIM Da-mi, Arirang News.
