Japanese Keizansho Urges "Korea to Stop WTO Complaints and Return to the Dialogue Table"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyeon-jin] Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, on the 30th urged the South Korean government to halt the World Trade Organization (WTO) litigation process regarding the strengthened export restrictions and return to the negotiation table.

According to NHK, Minister Kajiyama stated at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting that day, "Japan believes that issues should be resolved through dialogue," and said he would make such a request to the South Korean government. The Japanese government tightened export controls on three items, including semiconductor raw materials, to South Korea in July last year. In response, the South Korean government filed a complaint with the WTO on September 11 of last year but suspended the WTO litigation process on November 22 of the same year to resolve the Korea-Japan conflict through dialogue.

However, since Japan did not present a separate solution to the export restrictions, South Korea resumed the WTO dispute resolution process on the 2nd of this month and sent a panel establishment request to the WTO Secretariat on the 18th. In response, the WTO held a headquarters meeting the day before to discuss the related agenda, but the panel was not established as Japan, the respondent country, rejected it.

Minister Kajiyama mentioned, "The Korea-Japan policy dialogue, which had been suspended for about three and a half years, has resumed, and multiple exchanges of information and policy dialogues between authorities have been conducted, which I evaluate as having improved." He added that the export restrictions on South Korea "comply with WTO agreements and do not affect supply chains," and said, "We will continue to respond quietly."

Minister Kajiyama also expressed regret over South Korea's resumption of the WTO dispute resolution process against Japan's refusal to ease export restrictions, calling it a "unilateral measure" that renders the previous Korea-Japan dialogue useless, stating it is "very regrettable."

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