Korea Government Filed a Complaint with WTO Over Japan’s Export Restrictions on Korea

The South Korean government filed a complaint over Japan’s, recently imposed, export restrictions with the World Trade Organization, blaming Tokyo for taking a biased measure against Korea for political reasons.

During a press conference in Seoul, the nation’s Trade Minister Myung-hee YOO said that the Japanese government’s export controls, focusing on Korea, was a direct violation of WTO regulations. Trade Minister YOO noted the Japanese government’s decision to restrict exports to Korea was, among other things, politically motivated and is harming both Korean and Japanese businesses and relations between the countries.

WTO guidelines prohibits member from taking unfair and biased measures against another member of the WTO. In this manner, Korea’s Trade Minister argued vehemently that Japan’s export restrictions on three key materials for key Korean manufacturers to Korea (essential for making cell phone chips and displays), comes after Korea’s Supreme Court ruled at the end of 2018 that, in short, Japanese companies may be held liable for wartime crimes. Japan denies the link between the export controls and the decision.

We shall update the reader when more is known on this developing issue.