South Korea’s Moon Jae-in warns Japan of retaliation for trusted export list removal
- Tokyo said it did not intend for the move to affect relations with Seoul. But the South Korean president said his government would hold Japan responsible for what happens next
- Moon Jae-in pledged that the ‘reckless’ economic measures would not cripple the country’s economy, in remarks that were televised live
South Korean President Moon Jae-in condemned Japan’s decision to remove South Korea from a list of trusted export destinations, calling it “reckless” and warning he would hold Tokyo accountable for the impact of its move.
In a strongly-worded statement that was televised live, Moon attacked Japan for ignoring his government’s efforts to diplomatically resolve their ongoing dispute over territory and history and threatened to take unspecified action against Tokyo.
“[We] unequivocally warn that the Japanese government will be entirely held accountable for what will unfold going forward ... the Korean government will resolutely take corresponding measures in response to Japan’s unjustifiable economic retaliatory measures,” he said at a cabinet meeting called at short notice.
Bilateral tensions between the two US allies have escalated in the past month after Japan decided from July 4 to tighten exports of key materials used to manufacture semiconductors and display panels for smartphones and televisions to South Korea.
On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet voted to strike its neighbour from a so-called “white list” of countries that benefit from less stringent checks. The removal will take place on August 28, the government said.
Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko told reporters Japan did not intend the move to affect relations with South Korea. But the matter has been seen by Seoul as having major implications for its already struggling economy, and it earlier warned it could rethink its security cooperation with Tokyo.
Moon did not mention the bilateral military information-sharing agreement both countries have that is coming up for renewal. The deadline for notifying Japan of such a decision comes August 24, amid North Korea ramping up its tests of ballistic missiles that experts say are designed to strike US allies in East Asia.