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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Kang, Kono trade barbs at ASEAN after Japan's decision to revoke S Korea's preferential trade status
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81 Comments
Akie
The whitelist should be trashed all together. Japan must stand up against all kinds of discrimination.
KariHaruka
You continued to take advantage of Japan's goodwill and the preferential treatment that wasn't even given to Japan's other trading partners in Asia.
There's only so much that you can abuse this relationship before Japan says that enough is enough.
You reap what you sow SK.
Ganbare Japan!
Really wise move by Abe Cabinet, well done. If SK had enforced the no-trade embargo on Communist NK, it wouldnt have come to this. Well done PM Abe for standing up for Japans security again.
I am really worried about Japanese tourists and businessmen on the streets of Korea now. Fly home and stay safe .
kwatt
Done well!
sf2k
This might have the nice unintended consequence of reductions in planned obsolescence thus fewer upgrades per year and therefore less environmental waste
ken1911jp
good job!
Madden
You reap what you sow!
smithinjapan
Japan will regret this more than SK; they’re going to lose all security cooperation and intel, and just when NK is warming up the missiles.
elephant200
NO K-pop going to be seen in Japanese TV? Is this what next Abe is going to do!
Samit Basu
Today is a great day for Kim Jong Un.
Kim has been urging for the termination of the GSOMIA and his wish has been granted.
Now North Korean nuclear missiles can reach Tokyo undetected, or at least too late for interception.
And also the payday for the forced laborers, as the liquidation of Japanese assets will start soon.
AlexBecu
South Korea. Do the right thing, accept the 1965 aggrement, take better care of your relationship with Japan from now on, it's important for many reasons and you should treat it that way.
The decision to be removed from 'Whitelist' doesn't have to be permanent or long lasting, it's up to you how fast we get back to better relations.
Samit Basu
@smithinjapan
Indeed. The Japanese stock to sell immediately is the material suppliers, as Japanese semiconductor experts expect Japanese material industry to disappear in the next 5 years as the result of Abe's decision.
slowguy2
With this move, Japan has not just shot itself in the foot -- Japan has dug its own grave and is about to jump in, thanks to Mr. Abe. The Japanese like to claim that Koreans are far too emotional in everything; in the end this idiotic trade war is going to prove that all along, it was Japan's leaders and their slavish followers that were led by their emotions, not Korea. They have no idea how the world has changed around them.
AlexBecu
Syzyguy
Japan paid already. The equivalent of several billion dollars in today money.
It was only a few individuals S. Koreans now Yes.... But up to 700,000 more Can apply and ask the court for the same deal if Japan pays again and again.
Their own government needs to pay them after decades of waiting and using the money to develop S. Korea.
Samit Basu
Nikkei is falling faster than KOSPI right now.
Stock investors know Japan is screwed more than Korea by Abe san.
Samit Basu
@slowguy2
Indeed, Japan's semiconductor material industry is history now, all gone in the next 5 years.
Once upon a time, Japan led the world in semiconductor, LCD, NAND, etc. All that is gone today and the semiconductor industry was the last remnant of Japan's once glorious past. Now it's dying too. All gone.
AlexBecu
So many S. Korea supporters on JT upset today. All the threats, the demands, all their hard work just like their government has Failed!
Didnt work this time did it... Those Japanese didnt back down this time the way you planned they would.
kwatt
If S Korea did it, it means S Korea breaks/risks the international security intentionally. The US would never agree with S Korea about the termination of it. If it did it, both South and North Korea would become same country, no difference.
Samit Basu
@kwatt
Well, it's the Korean warships patrolling the Hormuz, while JMSDF warships are staying home.
Until today, that is. Pompeo was personally trying to mediate but Abe san back-stabbed Pompeo, so all hopes are lost.
kwatt
It sound like S Korea belonged to N Korea and Japan did right thing for security as a result.
Haaa Nemui
And then bye bye NK.
quercetum
What do you think will be the grave ramifications? I wouldn’t be congratulating each other if I were Japan. This is going to escalate. Missiles fly stocks drop. The Koreans and Japanese need to get along and put history behind them already.
kwatt
@Samit
You are mixed up with Japan's trade regulation and Hormuz security. This is completely different issue.
Kiriyo Asato
Korea it is time to move on History is history!!! You have a lot to lose than Japan. Japan should boycott all Korean items K pops and going to Korea
Samit Basu
@showchinmono
Yes
Doesn't work. Korea's credit rating is much higher than Japan's.
Strangerland
If Korea wanted special trading status with Japan, their government shouldn't have acted like children. Now they are responding to the inevitable response of Japan to their actions by freaking out and making threats.
It's like a kid who complains all day long, then gets pissy when their parents won't give them a candy.
kwatt
Most people doubt this. Koreans only think so. S Korea would fall in IMF care again soon.
oldman_13
Well done Japan!
Finally, Japan said enough is enough.
This is all you need to know:
Indeed, the white list was simply a privilege, NOT a right, and South Korea was in no position to threaten Japan. Truly, the nerve of the South Korean government to act unprofessionally and without any ounce of professionalism, credibility, or decency.
As I have said a million times, we all know what the South Korean government and people will do now, what they do best, when all else fails, rally the world around your lunacy with nonstop mention of Japan 'never' apologizing or compensating comfort women, colonial laborers, and anything and everything to stir up racial hatred against all things Japan. Burning of hinomaru flags, burning of Abe effigies, so on and so forth. There's simply no reasoning with these rabid anti-Japan nationalists and their fan base around the world.
We stand with you Japan!
Samit Basu
@kwatt
So you didn't know Korea has much higher sovereign credit rating than either China or Japan? Burrowing money is not a problem, American and European banks begging for business.
Wesley
I think Japan is sick and tired of backing down and giving in to others. It's about time they put their foot down and started pushing back.
AlexBecu
Basu and the rest of Korea supporters. Don't do anything crazy like set yourself on fire.... A 2nd Korean man did that today in protest.
Lets calm down, wait to attack Japan if they don't send the chemicals that you need. Wait and see if they abuse the WhiteList removal. It takes a month to even happen the removal, that's plenty of time for Moon to do something to build trust again.
kwatt
Hah Hah Hah,,,,,,,,,
Hiro
What is ridiculous is that people still think NK actually ever cared about Japan. NK is SK biggest headache right now and not ours. They are practically neighbors and if anything happen,SK is force to respond along with all the US troops in SK. NK actions is nothing new and is just a everyday nuisance in Japan. All they do is show off and use threats. I have seen natural disasters put up a bigger fight then they ever could. Even this summer is more bothersome then them.
Btw, i am interested to see how SK is gonna counter attack and escalate this whole thing even further. No matter what they decide, is definitely gonna hurt both side even more. All we did was remove their special benefits and they goes crying to the US to intervene while at the same time acting tough on national tv.
Samit Basu
@Hiro
1._Termination of GSOMIA
2._Liquidation of Japanese company's assets to pay forced laborers.
3._WTO lawsuit
4._$6 billion fund on local vendors to increase capacity and replace Japanese vendors.
yoshi
Japanese government has done the things which should be done. It's the correct way as an independent country.
Samit Basu
Right now, NIKKEI is down 2.45%. KOSPI is down 0.97%.
Japanese stock market dropped much harder than Korean stock market did.
commanteer
Korea also has the lowest birthrate in the world. Much lower than Japan's and with a less diverse economy.
commanteer
And the yen is up. And neither have as much to do with this as with Trump announcing further tariffs against China - much bigger news. One wonders if this wasn't all timed.
And talk of war is for losers and fools
Hiro
@expat
Is not about whether Japan is victim or not. Because the new generation of Japan doesn't care anymore what someone did a century ago and doesn't like it if SK keep pointing fingers at them for crimes they don't care about. All the soldiers are dead. For the past century SK has been using the victim card and constantly bully and try to squeeze out as many as benefits as possible. Over the years it only has bolster their arrogance and increase their demand more and more. They enjoy it. Burning flags,holding protests,banning goods and destroying property. Some even put up signs on their stores that we aren't welcome as customers etc. SK is used to release their pent up stress on us while we had been swallowing this nonsense for so many years. This only create more pent up anger in the Japanese citizens over the years.
On a side note. The NK-SK war did more damage to them then Japan ever could. While we spend the last century helping them build up their economy and providing financial aid. But they never mention any of our contribution while they shed tears of joy when NK fed them lies about wanting to be a good neighbor.
Ex_Res
Right now, many other other countries industries are probably ramping up production to cover any shortfall in products which Japan imposed an export ban on.
I don't think that they will be complaining about Japans actions.
As I have often said, there is life after Japan.
oldman_13
lol I just keep looking at that smirk by Kang in the photo.
Seth M
AAbout time. Its a shame the korean lady had to take the brunt for her incompetent government just like that. No harsh feeling eh? And don't set more people ablaze! jeez
oldman_13
People out there may be wondering how ordinary Japanese citizens are reacting to this childish display by the South Korean government, as well as the South Korean people who are boycotting Japanese goods and things like traveling to Japan (in addition to their usual anti-Japan mindset that is taught to them since birth).
Well, the Los Angeles Times website had a good article today about this whole trade fiasco.
In regards to how Japanese are reacting, in fact for many Japanese, it's business as usual. K-pop superstars BTS still drew large crowds last month during four shows in Japan. At Shin-Okubo, known as Korea Town, many Japanese are still eagerly consuming Korean food, merchandise, music, cosmetics, and other Korean products. One 14 year old Japanese junior high school student spoke of her like for Korea despite all the trade issues, and still adores groups like BTS.
Compare and contrast that to several South Koreans who canceled their Japan trip and stopped partaking in Japanese food and products. One even expressed his extreme dislike of Japanese.
Just shows you the complete difference in civility and decency between the two nations, not only at the top governmental level, but even among the rank and file civilians.
Grow up!
TARA TAN KITAOKA
In this game, nobodies involved wins except the real trouble maker that is trump.
commanteer
Oh? How exactly is this good for Trump? China might be happy about it, but this is actually counterproductive for Trump and the US.
Ex_Res
In this game, nobodies involved wins except the real trouble maker that is trump.
What exactly has the President of the USA got to do with this little blood feud?
The Avenger
Japan has documented proof of dual-use products using Japanese raw materials being shipped to N. Korea via 3rd countries while the S. Korean govt. turns a blind eye.
kyushubill
Funny, there is still a ton of Korean tourists coming into Miyazaki for the golf resorts and surfing.
A ton of Japanese leaving for Korea.
I work as a volunteer here at the Miyazaki Airport and tourism both ways is not being affected by the children running both countries.
Ex_Res
Japan has documented proof of dual-use products using Japanese raw materials being shipped to N. Korea via 3rd countries while the S. Korean govt. turns a blind eye.
How do you know there is "documnted proof"? Actually, Japan does not have to justify it's actions with any documents.
justasking
What does Japan gain by doing this? Nothing. Literally nothing.
Shin Ra
Yes the Japanese officials are there to support and protect their companies from unjust legal decisions. They have ZERO obligations towards SK.
Hiro
@justasking,
So you are just ignoring the fact that Japan has been selling these materials cheaply to SK for years to improve relationship on the condition that they use it for themselves , but instead these materials are being sold to other nations behind Japan back and is potentially being weaponized. SK is enjoying the benefits and turning a blind eye to the rest of the problems.
If you don't follow the rules, then of course you get kick off the team. Who would want a teammate who is ungrateful and sabotage the mission while still enjoying the achievements.
While many see this move as Japan pressuring SK, the important thing is that it also create a better and tighter control over what can be exported and keep the nation secure. Is not like Japan lied about the problems SK is having with these shipments and also brought proof. The governments is not playing games. They have already foreseen what will or could happen from all this. Which is why SK desperately want to stop it while Japan is determined to move forward.
Ganbare Japan!
What a nonsense. PM Abe will be around for 6-7 more years, maybe more. Strengthening Japans economy, military and superb relations with the world. In that time, 3 or 4 Korean Presidents will be impeached and jailed for corruption!
Samit Basu
Korea removed Japan from its white list in retaliation.
GSOMIA termination is next.
OssanAmerica
Don't see any reason why Japan would care if SK removes it from SK's whitelist.
Japan also took the smart position of letting SK go ahead and terminate GSOMIA if they want to. Give the US a reason to withdraw our troops and assets. Too much American time and money wasted on a country that is bent on destroying the US-JPN-SK strategic alliance. While NK is shooting off low altitude short range missiles Moon continues to wage war on Japan, fueling more and more anti-Japan sentiment.
If Moon believes that, then simply agreeing to the Arbitration Clause as stipulated in the 1965 Treaty would resolve that issue. But in SK manner, they refuse.
Haaa Nemui
I guess there'll be no getting back on the white list in the near future for SK then.
hund0126
Japan "Mr. Korea, I have not been able to squeeze side by side with order 3 times since materials that can be transferred to weapons are in the current administration, right?"
Korea "I'm not going to say where I went or how I used it"
Japan "If it stays this way, it will not sell? You have a duty to manage and report properly, you have to exclude the white country?"
Korea "Good because it sells, it is not even an allies, and you should not make a big deal."
Japan "I have decided to exclude the white country because there is no explanation, from now on to apply for normal purchase."
Korea “Japan is going to slump! Anti-Japanese sideways are able to divert weapons and use it sideways, saying that they are not allies but they will not give preferential treatment !!”
Japan "Are you aware of whereabouts of the example you ordered in triple?"
Korea "Be good and give priority, not giving priority is an unfair regulation!"
Japan "No, can I buy it if I apply for it on the same conditions as other countries in about 170 countries even if preferential treatment is abolished?"
Korea "Japan is cruel! Discrimination! Regulation!"
Japan "No, it's not just export control, you can buy it if you apply"
Korea “This means that the Japanese people must unite in a bid to act together”
Japan "No, I'm not saying I don't sell, what do I do to apply and buy?"
Korea “Discrimination! Do not sell unconditionally is regulation! Do not give preferential treatment is regulation!”
Japan "All other countries are applying for and buying? Everyone is telling about usage and reporting management."
Korea "I did not think that Japan was a terrible country so far"
kwatt
As far as looking at the behavior of S Koreans, Both South and North Koreans are very resembling for each other. S Korea may take side of N Korea far away from US-led alliance, if SK terminated the agreement. Anyway It seems Koreans loves to easily break agreement, treaty, promise,,,,,if they don't like it.
Akie
Ex_Res, the old model is no longer useful. Japan, KOrea, and China need look forward and accelerate integration. All problems will be resolve under the new frame, including history, economy, security and territories. Only northeast Asians can save northeast Asians.
Ex_Res
Ex_Res, the old model is no longer useful. Japan, KOrea, and China need look forward and accelerate integration. All problems will be resolve under the new frame, including history, economy, security and territories. Only northeast Asians can save northeast Asians.
Akie. The old model has been re-structuring for some years now. North East Asians perhaps need a new framework, rather like the establishment of the EU, in the 1960's and 1970's.
Wallace Fred
Lolololololololololoololololololol
Sure Jan
Samit Basu
@OssanJapan
There are about 100 critical items that Japan sources from Korea.
For example, there is a Korean chemical company with a 30% global share in photoresist component.
Cut this off and Japan's photoresist production is severely affected.
A more obvious one is OLED. Japan sources 100% of OLED screen from Korea. An OLED cut off would mean Sony and Panasonic's flagship TV models stopping production.
GSOMIA is critical for Japan's national security, not so much for Korea's.
This is why Abe administration shamelessly asked to keep it, while Moon was eager to terminate it long before this trade war began.
The US will never leave Korea even if asked to. Why? Because 1. US loses the ability to detect NK ICBM launch in 7 seconds. From Japan, it's at least 2 minutes. 2. THAAD radar scans eastern half of China in real-time, the US would lose that too. 3. Osan is the closest US airbase to Beijing.
There never was a US-JP-KR alliance. There were two parallel alliances, US-JP and US-KR, that's it.
Well, Japan now won't see incoming NK ballistic missiles until they are 30 seconds before entering Japan's territorial airspace after the GSOMIA is gone.
This is why NK was demanding the termination of the GSOMIA, and Kim just got wishes fulfilled.
@Haaa Nemui
Moon just announced that Japanese has declared "Economic War" against Korea and has set up a war cabinet to deal with this.
A lot of things happening very quickly right now, like bills that dragged out for 6 months suddenly getting passed in hours, etc.
Samit Basu
Here is an illustration of why the US will never leave Korea, according to Bob Woodward, the journalist who brought down Richard Nixon.
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2162786/aides-appalled-donald-trump-questions-us-security
NK ICBM detection time
From Korea : 7 seconds.
From Japan : 2 minutes.
From Alaska : 15 minutes.
OssanJapan and other Korea haters dream of US pulling out of Korea, but that will never happen.
Samit Basu
Breaking news.
Sharp quit the phone-sized OLED business. Japan will remain relying 100% on Korea for the supply of OLED screens.
http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=34548
tooltalk
It sounds like South Korea also has its own "white-list." Now I'm wondering, what good is the WTO again?
tooltalk
I heard that South Korean's gov't actually asked for $12B back in 1965, but Japan agreed to pay a small fraction of that in grants and loans.
nigelboy
Other retaliatory I can think of that would harm Japan very deeply. (Not in order of importance)
Travel ban.
Embargo of essential food items (paprika, Korean sea weed, kimchi, Shin Ramen)
Boycott the upcoming Tokyo Olympic.nigelboy
Seth M
OssanJapan and other Korea haters dream of US pulling out of Korea, but that will never happen.
ur damn right. Japan went to war against two world powers, China and Russia, the US went to war against China, all to ensure the peninsula not serve as a leap stone to the islands of Japan for the continental powers. And it shall remain so!
Vdude83
"Here is an illustration of why the US will never leave Korea, according to Bob Woodward, the journalist who brought down Richard Nixon."
you know why?
keep the fighting within Korea.
Korea itself is dispensable. 1/3 economy size and harder to defense vs Japan.
Scare tactic, to station troops for balance check China. If worse to come, move those troops to Japan.That's why.
Vdude83
"Sharp quit the phone-sized OLED business. Japan will remain relying 100% on Korea for the supply of OLED screens."
duh, ever heard of JDI? they have both the technology and production capacity. price wise, they were higher compared to Chinese and Korean makers, due to higher operation cost. Still, with things going on this way, they are more than happy to supply J based phone makers.
btw, Sharp OLED business isn't even a fracion of JDI.
Vdude83
"GSOMIA is critical for Japan's national security, not so much for Korea's."
if you mean missiles information, here you go:
F35 can lurker around N. K airspace and ready to shootdown non ballistic missles.
Aegis ships are able to shootdown Ballistic missiles, yet it has a shorter detection range.
Then once THAAD is finished, all missiles from N.K are useless, Cut the GSOMIA=quick build up time for THAAD.Besides missiles, what can NK do to Japan?
Vdude83
edited, it's the Aegis Ashore system, not THAAD. Aegis Ashore has a wider range vs THAAD that is currently deployed in S K by US force.
Vdude83
"Moon just announced that Japanese has declared "Economic War" against Korea and has set up a war cabinet to deal with this."
underdog mentality.
rlaalswls
Japan is distorting facts. Do you know the truth of this thing? Korea discloses all government policies. So I get a lot of complaints and noise, but I do not live like dumb. I do not know whether the contents of this trial were really detailed in Japan.
Japan repeatedly told the Korea-Japan treaty that the compensation was over, but this trial was not to be taken with the Korea-Japan accord. And, in fact, there is no mention of damages in the Korea-Japan Agreement. It is designated as a country development fund celebrating independence. At the time, the Korea-Japan treaty stated that it included the San Francisco Treaty, but the contents were completely different. The reason remains documented. 1965. 3. 20. According to the "White Paper on the Korea-Japan Talks" (No. 18) issued by the Government of the Republic of Korea, Article 4 of the San Francisco Convention states that the basis of the claimability issue between Korea and Japan is the basis of the issue. Korea is not a party to the treaty of the San Francisco Treaty and therefore has not been granted the right to claim damages and suffering suffered by the victorious nation pursuant to the provisions of Article 14. The Korean- Can not be included ". Did the Japanese government tell you all this? To the people?
rlaalswls
The export control measures have nothing to do with the ruling in South Korea, and they say security reasons. Do you know? Does this look fair? Korea is a member of the export control system. Taiwan China is not affiliated. Even Korea said that if Japan does not believe in Korea, it will receive a WTO audit. In the meantime, the military agreement says that it should continue as a separate matter. Does this look fair?
Abe's behavior does not fit into common sense, even if Japanese lawyers say it.
According to the ruling of the Supreme Court of Japan, in April 2007, the court rejected plaintiff's claim in the case of Chinese forced labor, but the right of claim for compensation was not extinguished.
Masato Niimura, a former judge of the Tokyo High Court, also claimed in the February issue of the Japanese monthly magazine Sekai that the original Japanese government had maintained that the individual claims were not extinguished.
Mitsubishi Materials made a reconciliation with Chinese victims to pay 100,000 Yuan per person (about 16.54 million won) to 3,765 victims in two years in relation to the compulsory damages lawsuit filed in Chinese court in 2014 .
The Hanaoka incident was a case in which hundreds of people were murdered after the Chinese who had been forced into the Hanaro Mine in Akita Prefecture in the late Pacific War caused a riot in protest against abuse and discrimination.
In 2000, the Tokyo High Court ruled that Kashimagumi Construction, which was the subject of the assassination, ended up paying 500 million yen to the Chinese Red Cross Society, the victim's agent.
In 1991, the Japanese government consistently stated that individual claims did not disappear, including the response of Yanai's deputy foreign policy chief. The Supreme Court of Japan also made the same judgment in April 2007, when a victim of forced Chinese execution targeted a Japanese company. Although the trial itself was lost, Nishimatsu Construction paid the settlement gold to the victim because the claim was granted. But now, the government is blocking the payment of money by Shin Il-cheol, Mitsubishi. The reason is different from China. The victim's human rights remedy should be the same. He contributed:
Abe is a real bad politician. It is not right to hide from the people if it is disadvantageous to oneself.
MMMt
Japan has not retaliated! Japan reviewed the export rules for strategic goods. The reason is Korea's act. Korea is obliged to report the final users of hydrogen fluoride that Japan exported to Korea. Korea has not answered for three years about 30 tons of users. Japan proposed a meeting, but Korea rejected it. Hydrogen fluoride is necessary for the enrichment of uranium used for nuclear bombs. Japan reviewed the rules for global security. Korea can import if the final user is reported to Japan. Currently, there are countries that are developing nuclear bombs. But where did that country get hydrogen fluoride? Japan just regulated the rules just in case. Same rules as ASEAN countries. Korea's trial results do not matter. Korea does not see the truth and does not listen to Japan. I think that the Korean government wants a reason to incite the Korean people.