Japan lifts export restrictions on Korea
![Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands prior to holding bilateral talks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 13, 2022. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2023/03/16/88eeb243-281c-4c13-a5d8-b968682c26e4.jpg)
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands prior to holding bilateral talks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 13, 2022. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
Japan removed its export curbs on certain key materials to Korea as Korea simultaneously withdrew its complaint filed with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Japan for its restrictions, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Thursday.
The announcement comes over three years after the restrictive measures were first imposed.
The industry ministries of Korea and Japan held a policy dialogue from Tuesday to Thursday to reach a mutual agreement on measures, ahead of the scheduled summit between the two countries.
In July 2019, Japan required extra documentation to export to Korea three key chemicals — hydrogen fluoride, photoresists and fluorine polyimide — that are essential in the making of semiconductors and displays.
The Japanese government cited Korea’s failure to comply with strict controls on strategic exports, threatening Japan’s national security.
But Korea saw the move as retaliation for a court decision in late 2018 calling for compensation for Koreans forced into labor by Japan during World War II.
As Japan and Korea had also removed each other from the so-called white list of trusted trading partners, the two countries now plan to work on the “quick restoration of the white list status,” said the Trade Ministry.
BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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