일본, 한국에 2차 경제보복 강행…백색국가 제외 의결
Ignoring South Korea's cotinued calls for dialogue to ease tensions, Japan has decided to drop South Korea from its so-called "whitelist" of trusted trading partners.
This has worsened what is already fragile tensions between the two sides, as the move will make it harder for Korea to import hundreds of products needed by South Korean companies.
Our Kim Mok-yeon has our top story.
In a cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's official residence at 10AM on Friday, the Japanese Cabinet decided to EXCLUDE South Korea from its whitelist of 27 countries given preferential treatment in trade procedures.
South Korea is the only Asian nation on Japan's trade whitelist, and has been on the list since its inclusion in 2004.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Japan's trade minister Hiroshige Seko said that the Cabinet passed an ordinance on removing South Korea from the whitelist.
The minister stressed that the measures come as part of Japan's efforts to reexamine its management system, pointing out at South Korea's export controls system is lax.
"Our latest decision came with the basis that South Korea was inadequate in its export controls, and that we wanted to take appropriate measures to manage our exports. We completely did not intend to influence our ties with Seoul, and it's not an act of retaliation against anything."
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also reiterated that the measures were not financial regulations aimed at souring ties, and that its treatment of trade with South Korea would only change to a level similar to other Asian countries.
Suga also said that the measures will be made public on Wednesday, and that it will officially come into effect on the 28th of August, after Japan's Emperor Naruhito makes a proclamation.
The removal of South Korea from so-called whitelist of 27 countries is seen as the second retaliatory measure by Tokyo after its July 4 imposition of tighter restrictions on exports to Seoul of key materials used for semiconductor and display production.
Despite Japan's denial, many still speculate that the export curbs were a sign of retaliation against South Korean Supreme Court's decisions that hold Japanese companies liable for wartime forced labor.
Nevertheless, Tokyo's decision to scrap Seoul from its whitelist is feared to cause significant delays and disruptions to imports from Japan, as Japanese exporters will need individual authorization, rather than fast-track approval, for exports of more than a thousand dual-use items to South Korea.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.
