Japan Raises Trade Tensions with South Korea in Dispute

 

Japan plans to remove South Korea from its list of top trading partners in a dispute that may be linked to historical tensions between the sides.

The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved the plans on Friday.

As a result, Japan would remove South Korea from a list of what are known as “white countries” with preferred trade relations. Such countries enjoy easier trade requirements than other nations.

Starting on August 28, however, Japanese companies must seek government permission to export to South Korea products that could have military uses.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called the move “selfish” and warned it could damage the world economy. Earlier, a South Korean presidential spokesperson promised a “resolute¹” answer to Japan’s move.

Last month, Japan restricted exports of a small number of important, high-technology materials to South Korea. The materials are used to make semiconductors³ and parts for electronic products that are important to South Korea’s export-fueled economy.

Trade dispute follows South Korean court rulings

Japan’s decision to remove South Korea from the list is widely considered an action to answer rulings by South Korea’s Supreme⁴ Court. In October, the court ordered some Japanese companies to pay Koreans who performed forced labor⁵ during World War II.

The Japanese government says all such disputes were settled in a 1965 treaty between the two sides. Under the same agreement, the countries established diplomatic ties.

The current trade issues, Japan says, are the result of national security concerns. The country pointed⁶ to “improper incidents” involving exports to South Korea. But some Japanese officials have appeared to link the decisions to the historical disputes.

Reactions to a trade dispute could be far-reaching

Japan has the world’s third largest economy, while South Korea has the 11th largest. A trade war between the two could affect not only East Asia, but the world economy. It could threaten the international technology supply chain because South Korea produces about 70 percent of the world’s computer memory chips.

Tobias Harris is a Japan expert at the business advisory⁷ group Teneo. He says the effect of the new policy depends on how strongly Japan restricts exports.

Harris said that, when Japan ordered restrictions⁸ on trade with South Korea in July, officials suggested it would be difficult for Japanese companies to export the affected⁹ products.

With its latest move, Harris said, the Japanese government appears to be putting “Korea at the same level as Japan’s other trading partners in Asia. Presumably, it won’t be a total embargo¹⁰ so as to limit the direct impact on Japanese firms,” he added.

However, the dispute could hurt United States efforts to negotiate an end to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The U.S. government has urged both sides to resolve their dispute.

Matthew Goodman is a specialist on Asian economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He says it is understandable that Japan is “frustrated¹¹” with the issue of World War II forced labor and concerns over exports. But he warned, “This issue is likely to set back the progress Japanese Prime Minister Abe has made over the past few years as an economic leader in the region and the world.”

The Japanese companies named in the South Korean court ruling have yet to pay the money to the forced labor victims. Some of the survivors¹², who first brought the case, have started legal action to seize some of the companies’ property to pay for a settlement.

Japan says it cannot accept the rulings. But the South Korean government says it cannot overturn them because that would harm the independence of the country’s court system.

I’m Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

preferred –adj. the like someone or something more than someone or something else

resolute –adj. very determined¹³

semiconductor² –n. a material that can conduct electricity needed in modern electronic devices

supply chain –n. the system of organizations, people and resources needed to mover products and service to the places where they are needed

presumably –adv. what is likely, what one thinks is likely

frustrated –adj. to be upset because of not being able to do or complete something

1 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

2 semiconductor   

n.半导体

参考例句：

• In the beginning,engineers hoped to use semiconductor lasers.在开始时，工程师们希望能够利用半导体激光器。
• The main agent of the company brand semiconductor sales.本公司主要代理各品牌半导体销售。

3 semiconductors   

n.半导体( semiconductor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Crystals may be insulators, semiconductors, or conductors. 晶体可以是绝缘体，半导体，或导体。 来自辞典例句
• Semiconductors containing such impurities are called p-type semiconductors. 含有这类杂质的半导体叫做P型半导体。 来自辞典例句

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

11 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。