Japan Threatens to Remove South Korea as a Preferential Trading Partner

Here is the latest economic measure the Japanese are looking at taking against South Korea:

Japan’s plan to remove Korea from its “white list” of countries with preferential trade treatment will endanger the alliance between Korea, Japan and the United States and threaten regional security in Northeast Asia, the trade minister said Wednesday.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo said the Korean government has delivered its “written opinion” to Tokyo. This is the first time Korea has delivered a message this way to Japan over economic issues.

The document contains details on why Japan’s July 4 export restrictions on three materials for manufacturing semiconductors, and an additional move to remove Korea from its whitelist of 27 countries are unfair and groundless. 

“The groundless export curbs on three materials for semiconductors should be lifted immediately and the action to remove Korea from its whitelist should also be scrapped,” Sung said during a press conference at the Government Complex in Seoul.

“The attempt to remove Korea from its whitelist is an especially serious issue which sways the foundation of the cooperation between Korea, Japan and the U.S. on security in Northeast Asia, as well as dealing a heavy blow to the Korea-Japan economic partnership which has lasted over 60 years.” 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this is clearly tit-for-tat because earlier this week the ROK said they were considering ending the GSOMIA security pact with Japan. So Japan comes back with a threat to take South Korea off their white list.

This whole dispute could be ended if the Moon administration stops with its plan to forcibly seize the assets of Japanese companies within South Korea.