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Saturday, July 13, 2019, 17:44
More acrimony in Japan-ROK row as Tokyo lodges protest
By Agencies
Saturday, July 13, 2019, 17:44 By Agencies

Jeon Chansu, right, manager of ROK's Trade Security Section at Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources, and Jun Iwamatsu, left, director of Japanese Trade Control Policy Division, Trade Control Department, meet to discuss Japan's tightening of controls on high-tech exports to the ROK, in Tokyo, Japan, July 12, 2019. (KIM BYUNG-KYUN / YONHAP VIA AP)

SEOUL/TOKYO - The Republic of Korea and Japan traded further acrimony on Saturday, with Tokyo accusing Seoul of mischaracterizing talks the day before that did not mend a dispute that could threaten global supplies of microchips and smartphone displays. 

Japan said the ROK had not asked Japan on Friday to withdraw the export restrictions, rejecting a reported remark by an ROK official

Tokyo lodged a protest against Seoul, saying it had broken an agreement on what the two sides would disclose from the Friday discussions on Japan's curbs of exports to the ROK of some materials used to make high-tech equipment, said a Japanese trade ministry official. 

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also said in a statement that the ROK had not asked Japan on Friday to withdraw the restrictions, rejecting a reported remark by an ROK official.

The two sides on Friday failed to immediately resolve their dispute over Japanese export restrictions on the ROK, as Seoul called for an investigation by the United Nations or another international body.

Tokyo last week tightened the approval process for shipments of photoresists and other sensitive materials to the ROK, saying they can be exported only to trustworthy trading partners. The move, which could affect ROK manufacturers of semiconductors and display screens used in TVs and smartphones, has triggered a full-blown diplomatic dispute and further soured relations long troubled over Japan's brutal colonial rule of Korea before the end of World War II.

READ MORE: ROK proposes UN probe over Japanese sanctions claims

Friday's meeting was the first between the two sides since the crisis erupted.

A notice campaigning for a boycott of Japanese-made products is displayed at a store in Seoul, July 12, 2019. AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)

Lee Ho-hyeon, an official from ROK's trade ministry, said Japanese officials cited inadequate bilateral discussions as a reason why their government tightened controls on high-tech exports to the ROK, but didn't clearly say whether Tokyo believes Seoul may have illegally transferred sensitive materials to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The positions still differ (between the two sides). We did not see any willingness by Japan to change its measures from this meeting

Lee Ho-hyeon, ROK's trade ministry official 

Lee said ROK officials countered by saying that Seoul has a stronger export control system than Tokyo's.

The meeting started in an icy atmosphere, with officials skipping handshakes and staring at each other across the table in silence for several minutes, and continued for nearly six hours.

Kim You-geun, deputy director of ROK's presidential national security office, said the ROK has been thoroughly implementing UN sanctions against the DPRK over its nuclear weapons program. He demanded that Japan provide evidence for claims made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his conservative aides that there may have been illegal transfers of sensitive materials from the ROK to DPRK.

ALSO READ: ROK seeks US help in bitter trade spat with Japan

Kim said his government proposes Japan accept an inquiry by the UN or another body over the export controls of both countries to end "needless arguments" and to clearly prove whether the Japanese claims are true or not.

He said the ROK has been imposing stringent export controls on arms and sensitive materials that can be used for both civilian and military purposes as a signatory of major international pacts that govern such transactions.

"If the result of the investigation reveals that our government did something wrong, our government will apologize for it and immediately apply measures to correct it," said Kim, reading a prepared statement on live TV.

"If the result shows that our government has done nothing wrong, the Japanese government should not only apologize but also immediately withdraw the exports restrictions that have the characteristics of a (political) retaliation. There also should be a thorough investigation on (any) Japanese violation," he said.

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