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Abe says S Korea canceling intel deal damages trust

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By Kaori Hitomi

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South Korea announced that it has caught 156 illegal cases in Korea's export process.

That is to say that Korea is watching for illegals.

Japanese police cracked down on 300 illegal cases.

If so, is it true that Japan has admitted 300 illegalities?

South Korea only announced that it had detected 156 unreasonable exports during the export.

It is said that it prevented illegal export.

The announcement said the Japanese government admitted illegal. Do you know?

Does Japan decide that it is illegal to prevent illegality?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dream2030 3 years is not time bt its time enough to build a company micron tech n mind u its not japanese company bt uses the exact same material n products that sk companies make. 2 japan exporting to north korea firstly what weed do u smoke secondly proof n thirdly japan wouldnt even export ebola virus to NK though opening it would kill them all

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Not SK playing victim, here, lad.

Oh please. It’s SOP for Korea for decades.

In this case, they played as victims to WTO, RCEP, U.S., and China. And their so-called retaliatory measures such as removing Japan off of their so called “white list” (which Japan simply brushed it off )and cancellation of GSOMIA.

So getting back to the point, the status is given at sole discretion of Japan. If Korea wants it back, at least try to make an attempt to be humble and courteous. By playing the victim like I stated above, the chances are slim to none and slim had just left the building.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

smithinjapanToday  03:16 pm JST

shochinmono: "It is too obvious that you not only don't get what Catch-All Controls is, which is domestic matter at Japan's sole discretion but also conveniently ignore the fact SK has refused/ignored Japan's requests for consultations for longer than 3years, which resulted in this decision."

What's obvious, amigo, is that you are not interested in their being a two-way street, plain and simple. Gotta be Japan's way, or the highway. SK has to do what Japan says, without question, cannot complain, and Japan CAN complain, and do what it wants. Quite Simply, that is not cooperation, and there is no Reason for the "stupid country" you say, to quote you, should play this game anymore. Japan now has lost a SERIOUS military ally, and very important information related to NK. SK doesn't have to alert Japan at all about potential missile launches or anything else, and most certainly does not have to provide any internal information they gather on, let's say, potential abductee info. What does SK lose? A bit of watered down shochuu.

Dodging main points as usual? let me repeat it for the last time, Catch-all controls is domestic administrative matter judged and managed at a country's sole discretion. If SK wishes to stay in Group-A of Japan's list, it is obliged to be cooperative toward Japan's inquiries re its export managements. If SK doesn't want to feel obliged or forced to answer the Japan's question or to respond to Japan's requests for meetings for details, Hey, It is Japan's discretion to decide what to do with SK status . Even small kids would understand this don't they. Catch-all controls is not reciprocal arrangement either.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

shochinmono: "It is too obvious that you not only don't get what Catch-All Controls is, which is domestic matter at Japan's sole discretion but also conveniently ignore the fact SK has refused/ignored Japan's requests for consultations for longer than 3years, which resulted in this decision."

What's obvious, amigo, is that you are not interested in their being a two-way street, plain and simple. Gotta be Japan's way, or the highway. SK has to do what Japan says, without question, cannot complain, and Japan CAN complain, and do what it wants. Quite Simply, that is not cooperation, and there is no Reason for the "stupid country" you say, to quote you, should play this game anymore. Japan now has lost a SERIOUS military ally, and very important information related to NK. SK doesn't have to alert Japan at all about potential missile launches or anything else, and most certainly does not have to provide any internal information they gather on, let's say, potential abductee info. What does SK lose? A bit of watered down shochuu.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

nigelboy: "  If Korea wants Japan to reconsider, they should be begging instead of playing the over leveraged victim card."

Not SK playing victim, here, lad.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Abe's revisionism long ago destroyed any trust that was left. SK should try and be the adult in the room but it's like wrestling pigs, only Trump enjoys it

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

@smith

It is too obvious that you not only don't get what Catch-All Controls is, which is domestic matter at Japan's sole discretion but also conveniently ignore the fact SK has refused/ignored Japan's requests for consultations for longer than 3years, which resulted in this decision.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

No, SK is not obliged one iota to do as Japan commands, my friend. Who is Japan to demand such things? And Japan absolutely DOES neet to provide proof of its accusations if it makes them internationally.

It doesn’t. We already covered this on another article. This is a privilege given by Japan to states and not a right. If Korea wants Japan to reconsider, they should be begging instead of playing the over leveraged victim card.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@oldman_13 and @william77

Please list examples of immediate denials from the Japanese government after each and every apology and compensation given by them. 

LOL!

Japanese Broadcast Official: We Didn't Commit War Crimes, the U.S. Just Made That Up

https://time.com/5546/japanese-nhk-officials-world-war-ii/

Japan’s leaders are still stubbornly refusing to admit their war crimes

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/japan-s-leaders-are-still-stubbornly-refusing-to-admit-their-war-crimes-1.1665858

Revisionism Tokyo-style

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-xpm-2013-jan-18-la-oe-guttentag-japan-nanking-20130118-story.html

Why it's hard for Abe to apologize for WWII

https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/why-its-hard-for-abe-to-apologize-for-wwii

LOL! Oh, JT!

A (very) short history of Japan’s war apologies

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/12/a-very-short-history-of-japans-war-apologies/

Prime ministers over the years have voiced remorse for Japan’s wartime actions, including Nobusuke Kishi, grandfather of current prime minister Abe, who voiced “deep regret” in Burma in 1957 and expressed “our heartfelt sorrow” in Australia. (However, he was a nationalist aiming to restore Japan’s military might.)

When Japan and South Korea normalized diplomatic relations in 1965, foreign minister Shiina Etsusaburo said Japan was “deeply remorseful" for the “unfortunate times” in the countries’ histories.

A big part of the problem stems from the fact that Japan’s official apologies have been partially undone by remarks — like when then-justice minister Shigeto Nagato said in 1994 that the Nanjing massacre "was fabricated” (he resigned) and more recently Abe's government last year asked a United Nations special rapporteur to revise a 1996 report on wartime “comfort women” (she refused).

> “The world criticizes Japan for failing to come to terms with its past,” writes Jennifer Lind of Dartmouth College in her book "Sorry States: Apologies in International Politics."

“Tokyo’s apologies have been perceived as too little, too late. Even worse, its politicians repeatedly shock survivors and the global community by denying past atrocities; its history textbooks whitewash its wartime crimes," Lind writes. "Japan sees itself as a pacifist, cooperative, and generous global citizens, with a strong antiwar and antinuclear identity. But after sixty years, Japan’s neighbors still see bayoneted babies. Relations between Japan and its former victims remain fraught with distrust.”

@Oldman_13, HAHA

A number of Japanese scholars – like Ikuhiko Hata, an emeritus professor at Nihon University, who is being promoted by the current government as a reliable expert – say that the numbers are grossly exaggerated and the women were nothing more than prostitutes.

The government believes that he is an expert. That sounds like scholarly credibility. LOL!

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

@Dream2030A

Most of Japanese governments have often denied the facts of their “war crimes” themselves that the victims reported so far.

Can you provide a list of which governments denied which facts?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Moon knew what he was doing and this will force Japan to undo export control.

So he knowingly chose to apply diplomatic pressure that hurts both Korea and Japan, because Moon doesn’t want to deal directly with this problem he created by stoking the fires of hatred among the Koreans.

Pure and utter ineptitude.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sure, and those apologizes were followed by visit to Yasukuni and immediate denials that they ever committed war crimes. This is getting a bit repetitive

Please list examples of immediate denials from the Japanese government after each and every apology and compensation given by them. Individuals spouting off nonsense is hardly representative of the Japanese government as a whole. Also, what exactly does any of that have to do with Japan removing South Korea from the white list, and the South Korean government's childish display?

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Can't rep you enough nigelboy.

As always, those loudest to accuse Japan of whitewashing and distorting history, are the biggest offenders. The Japanese government has repeatedly tried to settle various issues with South Korea diplomatically and through official channels, yet they've been ignored and rebuffed over and over

How the anti-Japan crowd can then claim Japan is in the wrong here, is beyond me. Absolutely shameless.

Moon and his fan base thought they could shame and about out Japan with outright lies and irrelevant issues like comfort women to bully Japan. I'm happy Japan stood fast.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

William77Aug. 23  10:45 pm JST

Dream2030

Then you should do your homework better,Japan apologized to SK already several times.

Sure, and those apologizes were followed by visit to Yasukuni and immediate denials that they ever committed war crimes. This is getting a bit repetitive.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

what the news report is not saying or leaving out is that SK also added that it wants to go in its own direction militarily without the US. 

why so much disinformation?

South Korea scraps pact with Japan, moves closer to US | DW News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYPWfN7oR2w

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

Pot see kettle. By adopting Trump tactics, Japan unwittingly plays into the hands of Russia

-12 ( +0 / -12 )

Dream 2030

Abe government and its followers are the underlings of Japanese imperialists, in short, because they deny the facts of Japanese imperialist war crimes, and, after all, intend to expand militarism by entering into and developing the military industry and market from it, as their ancestors did since one hundred years ago. For example, they nullify even the previous Japanese governments’ positions: “[a]s for the annexation of the Korean Peninsula, a statement issued in 2010, the centenary of the annexation treaty, by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan and endorsed by the Cabinet at that time, still remains Japan’s official position on the matter. The statement at least acknowledged the injustice of the annexation, saying, “the Korean people of that time were deprived of their country and culture ... by the colonial rule which was imposed against their will.” Oh, ....

Get the facts straight. Kan did never refer to the injustice of the annexation, i.e, illegitimacy of annexation (and its treaty). That's why all Koran media criticized Kan for not being sincere nor specific enough.

Also, Abe did not nullify his speech nor any of precedent speeches. He made his own speech. Just as simple as that.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Japanese MoD officials confirm Japan cannot track North Korean missiles during the initial flight phase and must receive Korean radar info, and leave Japan vulnerable because Japan cannot attempt an interception without the GSOMIA.

In other word, Moon knew what he was doing and this will force Japan to undo export control.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190823/p2a/00m/0na/005000c

Land-based radars in Japan cannot detect the direction of the missiles shortly after they are launched, according to a senior Defense Ministry official. On the other hand, South Korean radars cannot fully trace the course of North Korean missiles that plunge into parts of the Sea of Japan that are closer to Japan or into the Pacific Ocean.

However, former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has dismissed such optimism. "If a missile is launched, relevant divisions among the Japanese, South Korean and U.S. governments comprehensively ascertain the details of the launch and where the missile will land in preparing to intercept it. The system can't function (with cancellation of the Japan-South Korea GSOMIA)," he said.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

He said Japan's such "breach of diplomatic etiquette" has undermined "our national pride."

And therein lies the heart of the problem. The saying "Pride comes before a fall" exists for a reason, and the more South Korea focuses on its nationalistic pride, the further and harder it will fall. Set your ego aside, please. Innocent people are going to get hurt because of it, and that will ultimately damage your ego even more, when your own people turn against you.

Japan has long claimed all wartime compensation issues were settled when the two countries normalized relations under a 1965 treaty.

And South Korea agreed with this for decades. Then the anti-Japanese nationalists rose to power and decided to try and find a loophole within the treaty. They found it, exploited it, and stabbed Japan in the back with it. Hence Japan's decision to revoke South Korea's preferential treatment. That treatment was a privilege granted to South Korea, and how do they respond? With betrayal. Everything from then on was South Korea escalating matters, exacerbating the situation by twisting the knife.

"The weight of past history influences current relations,"

Only because the anti-Japanese nationalists within South Korea refuse to move on from the past, and refuse to accept that Japan has changed drastically in the past 74 years. China has the same problem, but with China having state-controlled media, its people are more susceptible to brainwashing. The article states that many people in Japan and in South Korea are still quite friendly with one another, it's just that the respective governments are entangled in disputes. If South Korea were to elect a modern, more open government instead of a nationalist one, things between South Korea and Japan would improve, greatly. As long as the SK government has anti-Japanese people in strong positions however, that won't happen.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Something is rotten in Korea (no point in dividing it N and S anymore), and it ain't the kimchi.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Kim accused Japan of having ignored South Korea's repeated calls for dialogue and other conciliatory steps to resolve bitter trade and history disputes. He said Japan's such "breach of diplomatic etiquette" has undermined "our national pride."

In regards to trade dispute, METI has requested a meeting repeatedly to address Korea's past export controls but "postponed them on every occasion, providing a unilateral rationale on each occasion, even after both sides agreed on the specific date for the scheduled dialogue."

This went on for THREE YEARS and now they have the audacity to talk about "dialogue and other conciliatory steps" after the fact.

As to the history dispute (1965 agreement and Korea's High Courts asinine judgement), it's settled. Japanese government has repeatedly told the Korean government to abide by the international law.

"......3.Japan once again conveys to the Republic of Korea its position as elaborated above, and strongly demands that the Republic of Korea take appropriate measures, including immediate actions to remedy such breach of international law.

Furthermore, if appropriate measures are not taken immediately, Japan will continue to examine all possible options, including international adjudication and counter measures, and take resolute actions accordingly from the standpoint of, inter alia, protecting the legitimate business activities by Japanese companies..."

https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/press4e_002242.html

And this moron has the nerve to accuse Japan of "breach of diplomatic etiquette".

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Here is an article we all need to see and read.

https://news.nifty.com/article/world/worldall/12180-374846/

The Book's title is 反日種族主義(Anti-Japanese tribalism: the root of the Korean crisis) by 李栄薫 (Lee Young-hoon) a professor of Economics at Seoul National University and the president of the Naksungdae Institute of Economic Research.

He challenged the Korean's common beliefs--"Japanese colonial rule and development has been considered an absolute evil"--by arguing that comfort women were prostitutes and that the number of the women and forced laborer is exaggerated in Korea's textbooks.After raising a doubt by saying, "(If there's any) Tell me which scholar is actually claiming that Governor-General of Korea forcibly transported comfort women", he was severely criticised in South Korea and forced to get down on his hands and knees in front of comfort women to apologise them.

Guess what this book is a best seller in Seoul book stores and the anti-Japan group have not been able to refute with a constructively argue against the various points that this book have pointed out.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

AviBajaj,

SK should should show where 30 % of all the materials go them talk its not japan that need to show the documents bt SK

Again, 'Abe government should stop its puerile whining about South Korea's trade systems. Even when its argument that South Korean Government did not provide some documents in time is true, such a delay in documentation cannot justify its illegal retaliation against innocent companies and civilians. The U.S. Institute for Science and International Security ranked Korea (17th) higher than Japan (36th) in strategic trade controls this year. Besides, the U.N. panels and other Japanese media have reported that Japan "exported" prohibited items to N. Korea for years.'

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

SK should should show where 30 % of all the materials go them talk its not japan that need to show the documents bt SK

5 ( +7 / -2 )

William77,

Then you should do your homework better,Japan apologized to SK already several times...

Focus on the reality anyhow. Most of Japanese governments have often denied the facts of their “war crimes” themselves that the victims reported so far. Isn’t it just hypocritical to tell an ‘apology’ in the front and just deny the facts of their wrongdoings in the back again? Now, Abe government has been making the problems more serious, nullifying even Obuchi's and other previous Japanese governments' policies and efforts. This may be a very clear fact but you seem not to want to see it. Are an imperialist Abe Hand?

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

William77,

Why do you call Abe an imperialist ...

Abe government and its followers are the underlings of Japanese imperialists, in short, because they deny the facts of Japanese imperialist war crimes, and, after all, intend to expand militarism by entering into and developing the military industry and market from it, as their ancestors did since one hundred years ago. For example, they nullify even the previous Japanese governments’ positions: “[a]s for the annexation of the Korean Peninsula, a statement issued in 2010, the centenary of the annexation treaty, by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan and endorsed by the Cabinet at that time, still remains Japan’s official position on the matter. The statement at least acknowledged the injustice of the annexation, saying, “the Korean people of that time were deprived of their country and culture ... by the colonial rule which was imposed against their will.” Oh, ....

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Abe needs to visit NK asap. Confrontational approach only invite confrontational response. The true security is based on friendship, not hostility.

-13 ( +0 / -13 )

Indeed they need peace,and in order to achieve this we need that communist dictatorial China stop it's sneaky schemes,Japan is re-arming because of this thread,and if SK is so silly to shoot itself on the foot creating tensions with Japan which more than one time in the last 70 years helped them to recover from their poverty then there is nothing we can do.

In the last two months the South Korean government made itself a world joke,and from this China nothing good can come.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Moon will move on, he is going to remove more tensions with NK, that is the reality. Abe fails to recognize the change. Northeast Asians need peace, not war.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

The best trust is peaceful constitution. Reach out to the neighbors instead of contain and monitoring the neighbors. Northeast Asians need heart to heart dialogue.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Comparing SK to Poland/Greece is ignorant. Poland did not recieve a single 1euro of reparations from Germany. Soviet Union forbided any claims because of East Germany. Now they dont eant pay because..not. Poland suffered massive destruction during ww2 and german state should behave correct in this matter

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@oldman_13

It was the South Korean government that admitted over 156 cases of export control violations,

If you at the actual export control violations list, it includes stuffs exported to the US and UAE(Which is building four Korean nuclear powerplants)

North Korea didn't get its hydrogen fluoride from Korea; it got them from JAPAN!

Why? Japan's export control is far looser than Korea's.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Well played PM ABE!

First, Japan removed Korea from Japan's whitelist yet it has not blocked any exports to Korea, so Korea has nothing to complain about.

Second, South Korea is not on America's white list either. So, how's South Korea going to make the case that being on the whitelist has anything to do with the intel pact?

Third, Moon is battling a scandal involving his Justice minster. People are already making the case that Moon killed the Intel pact to divert attention from the scandal.

Fourth, The US is pissed off, South Korea will now lose all support in the US.

Put all the above together, Japan has won a major victory !

7 ( +9 / -2 )

2) Not providing evidence and proof for the decision to take your neighbor off a preferred list is another (which by the way I have read violates a WTO rule that says you must give most favored conditions to member nations equally. I am no expert on this so I don't know if this is true)

How interesting. It was the South Korean government that admitted over 156 cases of export control violations, not some phony charge by Japan, with the laughable excuse that it shows how vigilant SK export controls were.

As I always say, those loudest to accuse Japan of whitewashing history....

I'm still awaiting a legitimate reason why Moon and his government should be outraged by Japan's decision to remove SK from the white list, to the point of petty anti-Japan protests and boycotts. The funny thing is, if South Korea or any government had egregiously violated export controls to the anti-Japan crowd's home countries, these same people would be outraged and demand accountability. Double standards and hypocrisy always and forever

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Japan please give it 2 years

Counter S. Korea actions for 2 years and I promise I guarantee! S. Korea will come to the table and be a better ally and neighbor then we had in many decades. Short term pain for Long Term gain in relations

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Let me add,why should Japan keep apologize again and again?

They did it twice,that's it.

Then how about half of the world ask apologize to Mongolia?

After all they conquered half of the world,we humans do mistakes and we try to make things good.

If we keep hating each other always just for the past then we will never evolve.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Why do you call Abe an imperialist?

Do you really know the meaning of it?

The actual government is conservative,yes I agree but still within democracy.

And as far as I remember Japan didn't start any war from almost a century,so where do you see this imperialism?

Perhaps you should check the news about China and how is bullying the region,that is called imperialism in my book.

Unless you live in a parallel world.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Why does any country have to share important military intelligence with the imperialists of Abe government? They deny the facts of Japanese imperialist war crimes, nullifying even the previous Japanese governments’ positions, and retaliate against innocent companies and civilians: “[a]s for the annexation of the Korean Peninsula, a statement issued in 2010, the centenary of the annexation treaty, by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan and endorsed by the Cabinet at that time, still remains Japan’s official position on the matter. The statement at least acknowledged the injustice of the annexation, saying, “the Korean people of that time were deprived of their country and culture ... by the colonial rule which was imposed against their will.”

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

South Korea previously had one friend in it's local neighborhood, Japan. Now Mr. Moon seems to want to go it alone. He also seems to be a very good friend of North Korea. Maybe he thinks North Korea will be a better friend? The US has propped up South Korea militarily for many years. If South Korea wants it that way it is time for the US to pull out. That shoulld help relations between North and South Korea. The US can move ahead and strengthen its relationship with Japan.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

I must agree with Mr.Abe here.

What is the logic from the South Korean part to cancel such an important contract?

This is going go be negative only to Moon side and his people.

The Korean government played all this compensation thing so wrongly and after Japan rightfully took some counter measure to protect it's own interest Moon came up with this new gem of idiocy.

I wonder how long will the Korean government keep barking,time to calm down and give a proper apology to Japan.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

In over a month of discussing this trade dispute on this website, I have yet to see even ONE legitimate reason from the anti-Japan crowd on why Japan was wrong in removing South Korea from the white list. All I see from the anti-Japan crowd is continued irrelevant topics about German atonement comparisons and Japanese student curriculum. Talk about obfuscating the issue, what does any of that nonsense have to do with Japan's right to remove SK from the white list.

Japan has every "right" to remove SK from its list of preferred trading partners just as Korea has every right to terminate whatever they want to sever with Japan and as the US has every right to put tariffs on Chinese goods and build walls at the Mexico borders. For one, just because you can doesn't make it a smart thing to do, and two, there are rules in the world that we have respected and followed for long because we all want behave like adults. A few things that I think have gone wrong in this feud:

1) Not mixing political and economic issues together is one. Trump showed he can, and Abe quickly followed

2) Not providing evidence and proof for the decision to take your neighbor off a preferred list is another (which by the way I have read violates a WTO rule that says you must give most favored conditions to member nations equally. I am no expert on this so I don't know if this is true)

3) Putting export controls on three elements that are crucial for your neighbor's economy clearly shows that your intent was to screw them. Nothing else explains how laser focused Japan's decision was and what purpose it has.

Let's not hide behind this rhetoric like an idiot that Japan has always been forthcoming / straightforward with their intent and this is a simple "technical matter" about Korea not explaining how Japanese exports ended up in someone else's hands. Unless I am missing something, the accuser - Japan - needs to provide evidence to establish a case against Korea, and needs to lay out the conditions that can restore the trading status. I think the Japanese intent in this was very clear - to screw Korea, nothing else. To say or believe otherwise is naive.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

GSOMIA is a new treaty to me, no more than 30 years and only for 3 countries pact? My best dream is: no Trump to US, no Moon Jae-in to S. Korea and no Abe to Japan. Those 3 are the nightmare of every single issue happening now. Me myself, individually I have no problem with S. Korean, American, Chinese or Russian if there's no biased mind. Nobody wants war, that's the principal of every human right. I only feel those 2-3 years will be a trigger to find something the worst those 3 guys still on the government. Freedom or liberty to be shut down soon...I'm not happy, are you?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Chip Star

Korea is the one that left GSOMIA not Japan. Your welcome.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

 Talk about obfuscating the issue, what does any of that nonsense have to do with Japan's right to remove SK from the white list.

Love your assumption that if we don't approve of Japan's actions, we are anti-Japan. That couldn't be further from the truth for me.

We aren't debating Japan's right to remove SK from the white list as thstcwould be a fool's errand. We are, however, debating the wisdom behind doing so.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Korean pride, stubbornness and stupidity at its finest

Funny, I was thinking Japanese pride, stubbornness, and stupidity at its finest.

-13 ( +5 / -18 )

Kim accused Japan of having ignored South Korea's repeated calls for dialogue and other conciliatory steps to resolve bitter trade and history disputes. He said Japan's such "breach of diplomatic etiquette" has undermined "our national pride."

You can't make this nonsense up. The South Korean government claiming Japan refused dialogue and SK's conciliatory gestures? And then people accuse Japan of whitewashing things.

In over a month of discussing this trade dispute on this website, I have yet to see even ONE legitimate reason from the anti-Japan crowd on why Japan was wrong in removing South Korea from the white list. All I see from the anti-Japan crowd is continued irrelevant topics about German atonement comparisons and Japanese student curriculum. Talk about obfuscating the issue, what does any of that nonsense have to do with Japan's right to remove SK from the white list.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

This is what we know " History repeats itself". Korean peninsula was like this in late 19century. It chose Japan that time but this time it seems to be China and Russia, Moon's favorites.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

S. Korea needs to learn a lesson!

If you allow the agreement breaker, the GSOMIA breaker, 1965 breaker, 2015 comfort woman breaker, if you allow Japan to be used as a bogeyman and scapegoat Koreans will always play this game! Will always use the same excusss and the same answers just like the S. Korea supporters do.

Germany won't pay again for past wrong doings, Poland and Greece have to live with it. Past agreements settled such issues as compensation. It's what the Germans said this past week to Poland.

Follow Germany as an example. S. Korean supporters always point to Germany, a country that would support Japan on such issues as historical.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

smithinjapanToday  06:51 pm JST

Abe: "Look, Moon -- we can downgrade you without explanation, and we can stop exports saying it's about security but providing no proof!

Idiots still don't get it do they. As far as whitelist is concerned, SK is obliged to respond as required by Japan and Japan does not have to have proofs about its doubt. To clear all the doubt, SK should have been more cooperative, and this stupid country just cannot evade such inquiries for longer than 3 years if it wishes to stay in the list.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

Abe says S Korea canceling intel deal damages trust

So, apart from bleating, what is Abe actually doing about it?

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

The tit-for-tat actions could lead to economic damage that's bigger for South Korea than Japan. Major South Korean manufacturers, including Samsung, rely heavily on materials and components imported from Japan.

You can't give Koreans a better reason to overcome that hurdle, and in the meantime, probably canvass supplies from Russia and China thereby move even closer to them. Japan might look tough now but badly suffer in the long term.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

PM Abe is 100 percent correct. It is much better off having Japan-USA alliance WITHOUT South Korea. They cannot be trusted to keep intelligence, or to not trade with North Korea. SK will regret the day they decided to leave the protection of the USA. It would be expected in due course US troops would begin pulling out of SK within a few years.

Can the US troops withdrawn from SK stay in Japan?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Japan is trying to dent Korea’s teach capability as they have, for the past few years been making better products than the Japanese!

Does Japan really expect Korea not to retaliate?

Maybe he does as he is that lamebrained...

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Korean pride, stubbornness and stupidity at its finest

5 ( +14 / -9 )

Abe: "Look, Moon -- we can downgrade you without explanation, and we can stop exports saying it's about security but providing no proof! Please trust us and cooperate, or it will be regrettable. If you do not trust us, that is not trust! I will get by best buddy Trump over here and we'll just ask him to tell us what you tell them! Trump loves me you know... more than he loves you! He DOES! Now, excuse me while I donate money to Yasukuni and talk about the tragedy of the lost Imperial Troops during our plan to liberate your country!"

-8 ( +8 / -16 )

You know what else damages trust? Apologizing for past deeds and then visiting Yasukuni and whitewashing those past deeds in textbooks.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

PM Abe is 100 percent correct. It is much better off having Japan-USA alliance WITHOUT South Korea. They cannot be trusted to keep intelligence, or to not trade with North Korea. SK will regret the day they decided to leave the protection of the USA. It would be expected in due course US troops would begin pulling out of SK within a few years.

Really? The US will pull out of South Korea because of this? I don’t know what world you live in. The same way Japan won’t send ships to the Middle East because of the relationship between the two countries. Japan-Korea alliance is exactly that. Japan and South Korea. America will still be allied with both. They are not the first countries to be at disputes while holding mutual allies.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Kim accused Japan of having ignored South Korea's repeated calls for [unilateral concessions from Japan, without extinguishing Korea's right for further claims] resolve bitter trade and history disputes.

There, fixed it :-)

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

It is rathet unfortunate that a vast majority of the people don't see it that it that way and letting Abe off the hook, the timing before the election was to score political points which he really did but he miscalculated thinking the SKs will lie down low, the whole thing has blown out like a raging forest fire with nobody to put it off and no end in sight.

Shinzo and his cohorts trying to pull the con like Dump does on his Trumptards with the Mexico and China debacle, but they miscalculated. They bit off more than they can chew. Now they are digging themselves into a bigger hole.

All the while Dump is trying to involve himself in any conflict pretending to help, so he can con his way into receiving a Nobel peace Prize because Pres. Obama has one.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

PM Abe is 100 percent correct. It is much better off having Japan-USA alliance WITHOUT South Korea. They cannot be trusted to keep intelligence, or to not trade with North Korea. SK will regret the day they decided to leave the protection of the USA. It would be expected in due course US troops would begin pulling out of SK within a few years.

Japans Military can and will pick up the slack in providing extra resources, security and regional peace in the Asian region, along with the USA.

2 ( +13 / -11 )

Hmm, what the news report is not saying or leaving out is that SK also added that it wants to go in its own direction militarily without the US. I recall in 2004 ACCORD pointing this fact out that it would take about close to 20yrs when the SKoreans would make a bold move in that direction and it seems that day has arrived. My additional comments aside was not to train them in US methodology or weapon usage by the US, did leadership listen. Nope. Perhaps this could be another story for Japan Today reporters. This break of an alliance is never a good outcome.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Koichi Ishizaka, an expert on intercultural communication and a professor at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, called for more dialogue, noting Abe likely feels he gains political points with some voters by slamming South Korea.

It is rathet unfortunate that a vast majority of the people don't see it that it that way and letting Abe off the hook, the timing before the election was to score political points which he really did but he miscalculated thinking the SKs will lie down low, the whole thing has blown out like a raging forest fire with nobody to put it off and no end in sight.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

Is Moon trying to look tough in that image down below the article? He looks constipated.

1 ( +17 / -16 )

Did I just see a photo of Abe and Akie and the word 'trust' mentioned?

Irony at its finest.

6 ( +16 / -10 )

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