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noriahojanen
The "white list" removal is highly technical. Shipments of 3 key materials have still been made normally. Japan should and will approve of exports so long as all paperwork and procedure are done properly. WTO appeal, boycott campaigns or GSOMIA exit are non-sense, irrelevant responses. Beware, Korea is "cross-contaminating" different issues in different domains. Japan will never back down or make any deal for it.
OssanAmerica
Wrong, SK could have provided the information on export controls Japan has requested over the last 3 years. Instead they play tough, and when Japan takes them off their whitelist, SK turns this into an all out Japan bashing fest. For what, SK is now in the same league as China, Taiwan. etc. Now they even disrupt the US-JPN-SK alliance that supports their own security. The only childish idiots in this issue are the South Koreans.
ken1911jp
This is still only the beginning.
Karthikmg
More, More and More....
So, what can Japan do to make South Korea happy? South Korea demand more money, more apology, more Japanese materials, more of everything....
Get everything and still complain....There are lot of nations in this world who has suffered much worse for hundreds of years and everyone is trying to move forward. Common South Korea, Don’t be cry babies for everything. Wake Up !
OssanAmerica
It's only the Moon administration that has turned this into a crisis. They could have prevented it, but chose to worsen it instead. They could change their anti-Japan policy and regain Japan's "trust". But prefer not to.
jj1067
The only thing SK needs to do to stay on the white list is to send a document, report regarding missing materials, to Japan. That’s the due process. Failing to do that makes them off the list, that is only natural.
What keeps them from doing that? Why not just follow the process but make it a huge conflict? I don’t understand what’s on their mind.
AviBajaj
Wonder y japan should produce anything. Its just Sk has to show where the 30% of the material went n they would have got back their status. Now barking singing dancing n blaming wont do anything n question to a question is not an answer
Ganbare Japan!
Extremely wise decision by the Abe Cabinet. There are 27 partners of Japan that CAN be trusted with security and trade. South Korea is NOT one of them. This decision has everything to do with security and trust and absolutely nothing to do with any SK court "decisions". Only a fool could disagree.
I expect petty tit-for-tat measures from Moon and SK now. More mass anti-Japan rallies, boycotts, travel bans, burning images of PM Abe, and so on. Japan will not worry at all, and it will not effect Japanese economy one bit.
saitamaliving
Simple, South Korea only plays "adult" but is still a stubborn, unexperienced child. Incapable of learning apparently, too. It will be interesting to see, how the situation shows up on other countries' news. I suppose first there will be the Korean version published with the help of its global "truth" network. Then Japan will try to explain in a sophisticated matter with facts, which will not be headlined any more since they don't carry any aggression or are in any way outrageous. So the Japan-is-bad bashing from Korea will stay in people's heads in the end, mission accomplished like many times before. Japan needs a public relation office that also can handle social media.
showchinmono
Let's talk about Unified Korea in Red. Its coming sooner than we all thought.
AlexBecu
S. Korea attitude
We demand another apology.
We demand more compensation.
We demand Takeshima Island and you recognize is Korean.
We demand special previlage and to be WhiteList
We demand to write text books in Japanese schools the way Koreans feel is right.
We demand the Japan Sea called East Sea. Like we want it too.
2015 comfort women deal Final and Irreversible up to 80% of comfort women approved of it and supported the deal. Yet Moon went back on it... Now in 2019 we want a new deal with more money.
It's about 1910 to 1945 when Japan built up Korea but we say otherwise, you did only evil things nothing good.
It's about the 1560s invasion of Korea. Yes they will go back that long.
S. Korea is the most Anti-Japan country in the world. You give, they take and then hate you even more. Counter S. Korea
Kazuaki Shimazaki
@smithinjapanToday 04:24 pm JST
For one thing, he can only say that. On the substantive point, however, he is right. Mature countries (unlike the People's Republic of China) are supposed to keep issues separate from one another, not to mention that South Korea is 100% at fault and has no standing to claim a justified retaliatory action. Thus, their action can only be counted as an aggravated offence.
commanteer
For China, I suspect it's to isolate SK from the West and drive it into being China's pet client state. Maybe Moon has some deep need to be the one to re-unite with the north - at any cost. They are hoping to whip up enough nationalistic fervor that the people won't notice what is happening until it is too late. I don't think they will succeed, but who knows?
nigelboy
Actually, he/she does. HF 12N purity is unsurpassed and is vital to the end user's production efficiency.
What Samsung and SK are doing are essentially lab like test and announcing it to calm the fears of their end users as well as their shareholders. Anybody with a decent knowledge of this industry knows that the actual lab results to actually streamlining the manufacturing of this quality level material is a total different spectrum. Companies like Morita Chemical and Stella Chemifa has been doing this for over 100 years. As a result, their products offer superior in quality at low cost due to streamlined manufacturing process.
False. China put on the export control in 2010 when at that time, Japan was importing 23,422 tons from China. (80%). With outsourcing from other countries and technology advancement by the Japanese firms, by 2012, Japan only imported roughly 12,000 tons total with only 49% of that coming from China. In the latter part of 2012, Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare Earth High Tech, Ltd. , the largest supplier of rare earth materials in China, shut down one of their plants because of reduced demand. It's China that waived the white flag.
showchinmono
And yet Kyodo or JT never report Anti-Moon protests which scale getting bigger day by day
Richard Burgan
Hey SK got any friendly neighbors? No? You had one in Japan. Now, you only have a chance to make friends with NK. Hope that works out for ya.
Seriously, SK seems to be trying to mess up the SK-US-JP alliance. Certainly the US and JP will stick together. Where does that leave SK? The US is its only protector. If SK doesn't get the message soon it will be time for the US to start re-evaluating the SK-US alliance. Trumps deal with NK doesn't seem to be going well. The US may decide to cut its losses if it perceives SK as an insincere partner.
Haaa Nemui
Yeah... It actually isn't. A mature, civilized government would respond to several requests dating back to 2017 and even before for information regarding missing materials with information regarding missing materials. Whether Japan was just getting at Korea over the court ruling or not doesn't actually matter. A mature, civilized government would have complied.
nigelboy
To be fair, 156 export violations are not to North Korea but a transshipment violation from South Korea to other nations under Multi Export Control Regime.
From 2015-March of 2019, 29 cases of NSG (Nuclear Supply Group), 70 cases of AG (Australia Group), 2 cases of MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime), 1 cases of CWC (Chemical weapons convention) and 53 cases of WA (Wassenaar Arrangement). The first four (102 cases) is related to WMD.
This information only came to surface after a Korean lawmaker revealed it.
alwaysspeakingwisdom
No news. It would have been News if Japan had not removed South Korea from the list.
Dong Yu
The candlelight zombies are the most disgusting outlaws who have been throwing out themselves into the past not forward. Wake up and grow up.
oldman_13
Ridiculous, but not unexpected, that there are some that still insinuate that Japan trumped up these incidents of export control violations. The South Korean government themselves admitted the 156 such cases not Japan.
As always, those loudest to accuse Japan of whitewashing are the biggest offenders.
commanteer
Yes, the media is bought and sold by the powers that be, for the most part.
taikutsujin
SK, you reap what you sow. What exactly did you expect?
nigelboy
Packaged in 5kg~20kg bottles, 200 kg drum, 15kg-100kg pressured container, and 1 -18 ton containers.
That's good news. I'm assuming it's the FULL production line, right?
So production costs will be higher in already a down industry. That's really smart.
You're confusing the actual export controls of rare earths from China to that of release of the Chinese trawler. Moving goal posts.
extanker
@nigelboy
He does this any time you prove him wrong. Get used to it.
@slowguy2
Ah, I see you neglected to mention the one hundred and fifty six exports to NK that South Korea admitted that they didn't stop.
jj1067
@slowguy2
No, requesting end user report is not “accusing”. It’s a normal procedure to submit the report so it’s also a normal procedure to request it when it was not submitted. SK has been neglecting the report for years. Japan had been sending warnings.
So, why SK had been neglecting the report? I’m asking because I don’t know.
extanker
@slowguy2
What suspected leaks?? South Korea admitted they found 156 export violations to North Korea from South Korea. Japan doesn't have to prove anything, the South Korean government admitted it!
nigelboy
None needed. The "white country" status is given to Japan and Japan only. If you want it back, the first course of action should have been to answer to Trade ministries request instead of rejecting the meeting for three years. The next course of action is to beg, plead, and bow down.
I don't know. But could you provide some sort of materials regarding this?
jj1067
slowguy2
156 cases are not suspected cases. They were the cases reported to SK parliament by the SK govt.
Then again, why SK govt neglected to fulfill its responsibility as the importing country to send report to Japan?
extanker
@nigelboy,
Thanks for the correction. It's been reported by multiple news outlets that it was to North Korea, but unlike some folks here that like to make things up to support their claims, you seem to have your details down so I'm going to take your word for it. I appreciate not spreading false information.
But export violations are export violations and it's clear South Korea can't be trusted to secure there own shipments.
jj1067
Japanese companies affected by the export control are all planning to leave Japan and move to Korea or expand their production capacity in China and export from there instead.
This is hilarious I like it.
What I want to know is why SK kept neglecting the normal process required to submit end user reports. What did they want to hide? NK? Iran?
Black Sabbath
Another thing:
Can you imagine how millions of South Korean nationalists would lose their sh%t, I mean literally vacate their bowels, if as many Japanese took to the streets to protest something, anything, Korea related. Even the DPRK's nuke and missile tests?
South Korean nationalists are the worst double-standard, whiney little brats ever.
nigelboy
Sorry. What I meant to say is that the full production line of HF is already in place. What you indicated there is simply a trial run and nothing more.
That's not how accounting works. If you're paying more, it impacts the bottom line, negatively. Simple as that.
BackpackingNepal
Time for Japan to crunch SK bit by bit. Slow Poison. Before SK become out of control fully, it'll be the time for them to apogize to Japan instead.
Come on SK, you cannot do Your revenge like in Your Movies in Real World and especially to Japan.
Otherwise it will bite back to you like in 'Sympathy for the Mr. Vengeance'.
chisineko
Once paying extortion for something 70 odd years ago opens the door to repeated extortion attempts.
kwatt
Japan better ignore quietly and stay away from S Korea no matter how SK try to provoke Japan. S Korea has the biggest scandal of Cho Kuk now. More than 100,000 anti-Moon protesters and all mass media are making much bigger turmoil about Cho Kuk's daughter and son.
oldman_13
Good.
The only childish idiot is the South Korean government. More than a month later, the anti-Japan crowd here has yet to give one valid reason why Japan is wrong for doing this. Let the riots begin!!
Japan, stay strong against the anti-Japan lunacy!
Haaa Nemui
Wait... SK cancelled the GSOMIA as a retaliation for Japan removing them from the whitelist right? When the GSOMIA was cancelled... SK hadn't actually been removed from the whitelist yet. Based on that, Japan has no option. SK has to come off the list.
Bugle Boy of Company B
It's good news. Japan doesn't need Korea.
nandakandamanda
Korea could have shown some flexibility or generosity as they well knew this decision was pending, but no, by recent belligerence and aggressive threats they have made it easy for Japan to take a hard line.
jj1067
Anyway it’s past 00:00 8/28.
It is effective now. SK is off Japan’s white list. Good luck SK.
oldman_13
The picture of the crowd with the candle light vigil is pure comedy.
These ignorant folk don't even know or care about the way their own government is screwing them. Like conditioned lab rats, they automatically react when Japan is involved. Forget reason or common sense, it's Japan, so they are evil and wrong.
Grow up!
jj1067
@sliwguy2
“And GSOMIA has not been "canceled", either. In fact, despite the acrimony from Japan, SK is continuing to provide military intelligence to Japan, until it officially lapses on November 23. This is how a mature, civilized government acts. Japologists, know your facts before willy-nilly insulting Korea.”
Japan had been keep requesting SK to submit end user report of the products that could be used to develop WMD for 3 years. Sent warnings and informed deadline date this month. SK ignored all of it. Now which government is mature and civilized?
jj1067
@slowguy2
Yes, I do care.
Why SK neglected, and still neglecting to submit end user report?
Please, I want a straight answer to this simple question. No excuses.
jj1067
Yeah, Japan govt really need to look into Chosen-Soren and Mindan harder. Very difficult job. Some people in those organizations are sources of NK info for Japanese police. Also basically they are minority in Japan a lot of human rights concerns are on it.
I heard J govt is being prepared to use tax issues to disarm these organizations.
TakCWAL
Because official Korean history is akin to that of fiction, and Korean history books are akin to that of fantasy novels.
I am doing myself a big favor by steering clear away from them.
And yet, many of the so-called Class A criminals post World War II were ethnic Korean.
Furthermore, North Korea have been abusing its own people for how many decades now? Yet S. Korean outrage against Japan (for whatever reason) had always been extremely intensive compared to the relatively lukewarm reaction to N. Korean atrocities.
vanityofvanities
The demonstration in South Korea arouses me a strange feeling. It is like a neighboring family shouting to their neighbor "Your dad is a bad guy." Also, I thought Samsung was a big and strong company overwhelming Japanese electronic makers. I did not think they could not make end products without help of Japanese technologies. Is Samsung a Japanese company in disguise?
BeerDeliveryGuy
Ermmm, Japan is the only country that can produce the materials in question at twelve-nines (99.9999999999%) grade. And it owns the patents for the manufacturing process.
mike1492
What will the blue butterflies do? Turn to China? There's a anti-American group in SK that wears blue butterfly pins. Hmmm.
unforgettable
@William Bjornson
I can definitely agree with this sentence.
But the only PRIDE that is making things complicated and keeps on reigniting issues, are the Korean’s pride. And is seems like their leaders are always refueling it for their own votes.
The Koreans always recognized China as their big brother and Japan as their little brother. So it was OK to have their big brother bully them from time to time, and to be placed under their influence. But they just cannot accept the fact that they were overpowered and humiliated by their little brother (worse, conquered without any bullet exchange), and is seeking every chance to get back on them. That is why any apology or any compensation will NEVER be enough for them. It is all about pride.
If you think the Japanese are full of pride, you should take a look at the polls of favored countries. Even though Japan is always at the top of the chart for being one of the most favored countries, they do not get much vote from their own people. This is quite sad, to not have much pride or favor towards your own country. But due to the recent incidents with its neighbors (especially Korea) and with the effect of Japanese government policy(taking away the shameful details from history books, which was there before), pride and nationalism is building in the younger generation very fast.
Vdude83
smithinjapan...you have been in this forum long enough, and you should know that nobody in this forum is in denial mode of what Japan did in the past; however, the main discussion topics are mostly related to how S. Korea is using history for its own schemes.
Dango bong
Korea nobody need you. You lose...
Ganbare Japan!
Well stated, Alex Becu. In fact, it is the only nation on earth (along with their commie brothers in the North) where official policy is Anti-Japan, and most citizens do hate Japan. Even Communist China and citizens respect many aspects of Japanese development, and aspire to be as good one day.
There is talk on internet that Moon is facing a Military Coup in next 1-2 months. It may be just talk now, but it is coming, if Moon does not stand down soon.
showchinmono
Bu ha ha I see nothing but national hysteria. They kept throwing a tantrum as Japan should have apologized and now added new flavor "Japan didn't say thank you. It hurt our national pride!" You can't take them serious no more. They are bunch of comedians.
Black Sabbath
This is what happens when the US fails to lead.
showchinmono
Yeah IF you had been .... got it. but it is IF in your case which doesn't mean they really were
commanteer
Well, Wallace, if you actually were able to read that rant and make heads or tails of it, I suppose you deserve some credit yourself. Now if you would kindly translate it into English so the rest of us can know what Mr. All-Caps was trying to say?
rcch
@AlexBecu
your comment was right on point.
@smithinjapan
nobody is in denial.
"It is unbelievable in this day and age" that South Korea still uses the past as an excuse, and wants Japan to drop to their knees and do whatever they want. sorry, that,s not gonna happen.
drlucifer
Name one high tech company in the world that manufactures finished marketable product in-house without outside components.?
showchinmono
Guys. Catch-all controls is Japan's own export administration. How many illegal exports from Japan reached to NK doesn't matter to what Japan can do on it's own admin related to exports to SK.
Having said that, Japan of course must make illegal exports by pro-north Koreans in Japan ZERO. Yes. Japan has got to take much severer actions on Koreans and Korean-Japanese active behind the scenes in Japan.
Perhaps start with complete dismantling of GAKR?
showchinmono
@slowguy2
Exactly speaking, Japan Red Cross was the first hub to accept aid in two tiers 1. Donation and 2 Relief money depending on the usage. 1 is directly sent to the victims as cash 2 is used for misc projects for aids and recovery.
I don't know which official report you meant J-Government removed SK from. I hope you are not talking about Asahi News paper which showed mislead 1. Donation ranking one time despite SK sent majority through 2 Relief money. Perhaps you can post a link of such official reports if it ever exists?
J-Red cross also reports 2. Rerief Money too.
http://www.jrc.or.jp/contribution/pdf/kaigaikyuenkin_uketuke.pdf
Other than that, If then-ruling party DPJ or PM Kan screwed up or Asahi screwed up about reporting on SK aids, What else can I say . I know both are the shame of Japan.
Azrul Hakim
South Korea: I as a not so good friend of yours who had a rocky and feisty relationship demand you to put me on your GOOD FRIEND LIST..
Japan: Hold it, let me put you back to normal list...
showchinmono
TakCWALToday 06:29 am JST
You nailed it. For them, the opponents who suppressed and humiliated them for hundreds of years or whom they fought war against and killed each other are their pals. I guess they think it is the only way to keep themselves from suffering national mental breakdowns
gogogo
Whats the end game?
oyatoi
“Japan needs a public relation office that also can handle social media.”
Yes, there’s a real need for a dedicated cadre of media savvy people capable of taking up from where Lafcadio Hearn left off. According to one prominent revisionist luminary; “As I have insisted in the past, I believe Japan should take this chance to create a “Ministry of Information” with 3,000 staff members and an annual budget of 300 billion yen. It should constantly watch the worldwide media and immediately refute any mistaken reports in the local language.......and have corrections made to articles and news reports that are inconsistent with reality. They should be given specific missions and paid, according to results, with secret funds.”
Haaa Nemui
If they could.
Rachel Gamez
Can anyone direct me to an article or video showing Abe or Kono mentioning anything about missing hydrogen flouride or Korea refusing to cooperate for 3 years on this export control issue?
I read about this SK violation in comment sections very often but I can't seem to find any news articles or video. Even this japantoday article does not mention what SK has done wrong in terms of its export control.
Please help me understand this issue correctly. I do not want to offend anyone J or SK. I am just looking for the objective truth.
Christian Weber
All happened as expected and planned by Japan. Interesting to see what happens next and when to cool down. Only beneficial for both if they do and make it work. I hope they do soon
Akie
Both Japanese and Koreans are true smart, civilized people, and better Confucians than Australians.
Jimizo
Ganbare, oldman, but I still think being cobbers is a better way forward.
Samit Basu
@nigelboy
And produced in lab quantity, like a bottle at the time.
What's actually used in production is 99.999~99.9999%.
99.999% is ready now and deployed in production, 99.9999% will be ready soon.
Korean HF is already used in production.
And this low cost was the only reason Samsung and SK Hynix used Japanese HF, not because it could only be sourced from Japan. This is why Samsung announced they would completely stop using Japanese material from its process within a year, because Japanese materials can be replaced at higher cost.
Your memory is failing. It was Japan that surrendered to China after just 2 weeks.
And it is from this memory that Abe administration assumed that Korea too would surrender like they did, were they shocked to find out they were wrong...
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/25/world/asia/25chinajapan.html
Samit Basu
@nigelboy
Yup. The actual line that's producing DRAM and NANDs.
Supply insecurity is a cost in inself. Because Japanese supply is insecure, Korean supply is now cheaper because it doesn't have supply insecurity.
@Black Sabbath
Japanese never protest against anything. If Japanese did, then Japan would be a better place than it is today.
BTW, Japanese defense minister is now saying it's becoming more difficult to intercept North Korean missiles. Japan's airspace is now practically an open door now that the GSOMIA is going away and Japan cut off from the early warning radar feed.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2019/08/27/Tokyo-North-Korea-aims-to-break-through-Japans-missile-defense-zone/4061566920627/
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190827/p2g/00m/0fp/069000c
slowguy2
Turns out, SK has stopped more than a hundred suspected NK-bound exports of sensitive materials over the last 20 years, while during the same period Japanese exporters are known to have actually sent such material to NK on more than 30 occasions. Care to ask that question again?
melonbarmonster
Alls well but why does Abe administration lie about this not being in retaliation to Korea's Supreme Court case ruling regarding forced laborers and the reversal of the Comfort Women agreement?
slowguy2
Maybe SK should have emulated Japan's own behavior toward Korea, then? Like when the J government accepted nearly 60 billion won in aid from South Korea's Red Cross after the 2011 earthquake, then removed SK from the roll of aid-giving countries from the official report. Very mature and not at all childish and vindictive, that.
slowguy2
@jj1067
Why does Japan accuse SK of exporting sensitive material to NK without showing any proof? And all the while having committed that very offense itself? Please, I want a straight answer to this question. No excuses.
slowguy2
Suspected leaks are not the same as proven leaks. Japan has still not provided any definitive evidence, but continues to throw out accusations. Meanwhile how many such leaks were stopped by the Japanese government? Are the numbers even known? (as if there were any point in asking)
Wallace Fred
@William Bjornson
You hit the ball out of the park and then some!!
Samit Basu
TOK materials has announced it's moving Hydrogen fluoride production to Korea in addition to already announced EUV photoresist production shift.
Under Samsung's new "ZERO JAPAN SOURCED MATERIALS" policy, TOK had no choice but to move.
Samit Basu
@kwatt
And Japan won't have a materials industry left 5 years from now according to semiconductor industry experts, either dead or moved to Korea.
Samit Basu
@slowguy2
Japanese government doesn't know. North Korea got all its hydrogen fluoride directly from Japan.
slowguy2
So, Japan drops South Korea from the White List, presumably because SK is not so trustworthy, yet demands SK continue GSOMIA with Japan, presumably because their intelligence is trustworthy. Does the term "two-faced" come to mind? Yes, it does. Honne and tatemae at work.
Samit Basu
@BeerDeliveryGuy
You don't know what you are talking about.
Hydrogen Fluoride used for semiconductor production is 99.999%
And two Korean 99.999% grade HF were certified last month and already put into production use.
The way Hydrogen Fluoride replacement work is that there are 12 points where HF is used.
From stage 1, Japanese HF is replaced with Korean HF and see if everything is fine.
If it passes the test, then the stage 2 is replaced, then stage 3, then all the way upto stage 12. When the last stage is replaced with Korean HF, then there is no need for Japanese HF and the Japanese vendor lost the contract forever.
Korean HF is currently at stage 4. Japanese vendors know they don't have much time left and are in a desperate Japan Exodus in order to survive, because they must build up a Japan Export-Control free production capacity somewhere outside of Japan if they still want to hold onto some piece of contract.
@nandakandamanda
What flexibility? The deadline for termination notice was last Saturday.
slowguy2
And GSOMIA has not been "canceled", either. In fact, despite the acrimony from Japan, SK is continuing to provide military intelligence to Japan, until it officially lapses on November 23. This is how a mature, civilized government acts. Japologists, know your facts before willy-nilly insulting Korea.
Samit Basu
@Christian Weber
Actually this is not how Abe administration planned.
Abe administration expected Korea to raise a white flag and surrender in a month, exactly the same way Japan surrendered to China in 2 weeks when China put an export control on the rare earths back in 2012.
But turns out Korea was nothing like Japan, Koreans struck back and escalated things, so Japan now lost the GSOMIA, Japan's export to Korea is in a free-fall.
So the Abe administration doesn't know what to do, how to end it; all they know is that the Japanese companies affected by the export control are all planning to leave Japan and move to Korea or expand their production capacity in China and export from there instead.
slowguy2
More and more, Mr. Abe and his cohorts are acting like the daimyos of medieval Japan -- "Let the unwashed masses pay their (raised)taxes, keep their traps shut, and leave important matters to their betters; and just bear with the consequences".
Surely they are not ignorant of the fact that their irresponsible actions, driven by an irrational attachment to recovering the "glories" of of the past, are making their people suffer, force their country's Korea-suppliers to lose revenue, close down or relocate to Korea and China? And don't even start with the unbelievable insistence on feeding Olympic athletes with food from Fukushima; clearly he does not care how all this makes Japan look.
oyatoi
The Japanese are not fools and it would not be wise to assume that they are fully on board with everything the Abe administration is doing in their name. Ditto the South Koreans and Moon. Undoubtedly, on both sides there are people of goodwill who are capable of looking beyond the sound and fury of a manufactured crisis that has morphed in directions antithetical to the interests of each. These cooler heads with a pragmatic sense of statesmanship need to step up to defuse the more irrational impulses that are compromising the ability of both countries to advance their interests.
William Bjornson
Hmmm, what to say to all of the cheerleaders for both of these idiot polities? My comments come not as a critic of Japan but as a FAN of Japan, but also a fan of being honest with ONESELF. It's NOT trade nor security nor anything one could argue as 'rational'. It is the infantile politicians playing to their lowest and least educated base a tune very old between these two BROTHERS who act like little sisters (I know, I know, sexist, but I'm addressing sexists in their language). Japan HATES blame. Will avoid blame as a hydrophobe avoids water and will become almost apoplectic when asked to accept responsibility for a MISTAKE of which the Taiheiyosenso and Japan's behavior during that period and before turned out to be. NATIONALISTIC PRIDE, the worst disease any Human identity group can be saddled with because it makes the people easy to manipulate as Roosevelt demonstrated to Tojo Hideki in 1941 as the expert Bridge player finessed Japan into its foolish attack on Pearl Harbor to push America into the European War against the strong opposition of a WWI-burned pacifistic America (if you can imagine it) who wanted no part of ANY war. Japanese Pride does much GOOD for Japan but, as here, a slight poke with a memory stick and Japan erupts in defensive hostilities. And the Koreans have MANY memories of Japanese behaviors which simply do not appear in Japanese history as learned by Japanese youth and the even more ignorant outsiders throwing ignorance as gasoline into this family feud. As an individual, if I had been beat to s* and brutally enslaved for 35 YEARS, I might expect the right to complain and ask that my abuser at least own up to their behavior. To at least acknowledge the behaviors and condemn them in the fullest way possible JUST AS NIHONJIN WOULD EXPECT OF THEMSELVES IF THEY HAD HARMED ANOTHER NIHONJIN. Japan STILL, in the heart of Japan's worst citizens**, does not want to accord EQUALITY to the Korean People because, to do so, would make it difficult not to view The Empire's behavior as monstrous. A fellow named Schweitzer, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a great Humanitarian said, "The way to have a happy life is to have good health and a bad memory." I agree. But the memory of profound trauma can last a long time. And then a Japanese swing to the past, a Japan seemingly thirsting again for that adrenaline rush of WAR, NATIONAL PRIDE, CONQUEST! and those memories in the formerly abused rise involuntarily and old debts almost forgotten in the chaos of a new world, and food and shopping tours to Seoul, and open exchanges and co-operation is destroyed by psychopathic politicians singing the Siren song of RACIAL AND CULTURAL SUPERIORITY to Japan's least worthy citizens. And destroying a potentially very powerful alliance between two natural allies who, like poorly raised siblings, know only competition and shooting themselves in the foot. Humans. This is us in a nutshell. Nothing NEW to see here, folks, just the same old Human poison which makes this place the place it is, a place of constant GRIEF AND MOURNING, and this is just one more instance of that disease... This, too, shall pass. But what follows...YAMI.
smithinjapan
showchinmono: "Yeah IF you had been .... got it. but it is IF in your case which doesn't mean they really were"
More proof of why SK is correct in what they are doing. Well done, showchinmono. It is unbelievable in this day and age that people deny Japan's atrocities and proclaim the latter the victim. Wow.
talaraedokko
"This is a domestic decision aimed at implementing the appropriate export controls. It's not meant to impact relations between Japan and South Korea," he added.
Right. OK, so the world is going to see it as such. Mhm. What timing to say this.
Wallace Fred
It's all good. See what the racist right wing regime fails to understand is one can't bully anyone perpetually. Once the ties that bind are finally broken, once SoKo is truly independent, then best grab some popcorn.
Ahh you I think you mean uyokus like the ones that downvote in droves anything critical of the regime?
smithinjapan
"Trade controls as an issue are in a "completely different dimension" from military intelligence, Seko said, adding that he "can't at all understand why South Korea would connect the two."
Because he's a moron, in a government of right-wing morons.
'I kicked him in the teeth, and everything they say is a lie... but I, I can't see why they would take that personally and do what they can in retaliation! It is very rude! It is not cooperative if we take them off our trade list without reason and they then don't help us! How regrettable!"
Vince Black
Childish idiots on both sides. Sigh
smithinjapan
Do you know what? It's gotten to the point that it would be more beneficial to SK to help NK on intelligence on Japan, and it would be 100% backed up by the US (under Trump). Sorry, but that's the grave Japan has dug for itself. As it is, issues like the abductees will NEVER be solved now, and NK could move it's military without SK telling Japan -- simply because Japanese companies will not admit the past slavery issues and apologise, with Japan penalising SK and saying it's because of security issues without proof, then demanding SK not say anything about it to the world.
Good thing Abe has his nose so far up Trump's butt he can see out his lips, I guess.