Japan, South Korea clash at WTO over trade dispute

Truthfulness.

This is not an economic sanction against Korea.

Japan will suppress the fact that South Korea is dense to North Korea, and it will only give up its preference as a matter of security.

Economic sanctions against Korea's violations of international treaties, violations of international law, and violations of international agreements will be officially scheduled in the future.

Hydrogen fluoride is used for cleansing semiconductor in its production process. But it can be also used as the raw material of nuclear weapon. By the way, the 30% of hydrogen fluoride exported from Japan to South Korea is missing. Apparently, it seems to be exported to the other countries by South Korean importers.

Which is more appropriate to keep this situation or to switch to the system checking what to use?

@Cogito Ergo SumJuly 25 07:35 pm JST

"Final and irreversible " This was an intergovernmental ( INSTITUTIONAL) agreement of which Individuals were not Party to. Individuals lodged the case as sovereigns.

Individuals can file claims. The State (or the judicial branch of it) is supposed to refuse them. If they do not refuse (excuse is up to them), then the government violates its own obligation to treat the thing as settled (as in no more money transfers).

If individuals are not happy with the settlement arranged by their State, they may sue. The court may find in the individual's favor. However, the solution cannot be to command more money from the other side, because that violates the settlement. Is this hard?

@Samit Basu

The WTO rules require all nations to sell to each other without restriction in quantity.

Japan's export control violates the WTO rule by artificially limiting the number of shipment to Korea.

This is a very clear cut case of WTO rule violation, 3 specific rules to be exact.

Have you been actually reading News at all? Removing RoK from whitelist (preferential treatment) is NOT "artificially limiting the number of shipment", it simply is taking away a special privilege of security free-pass and treat RoK with the same equal status with all other Asian nations. RoK is just acting like a spoiled brat complaining that his toy was taken away because of his misbehavior.

The only exception allowed on no export control rule is if two countries are about to go to war. So the only defense that Japan can make when Korea takes Japan to the WTO for export control is that Japan thought Japan and Korea were about to go to war during the summer of 2019.

Not necessarily so. Japan is not currently in a state of war with North Korea, are they? Japan should simply treat South Korea in the same way with North Korea since we don't see much difference in them so why should Japan treat South Korea differently?

Politics have no bearing on trade matters.

Right, "Two-track strategy" as President Moon proclaims. "We will continue to bash the heck out of Japan for historical issues but we will expect economic support from Japan because politic and economic matters should be separated". Do you have any idea how it sounds from Japanese perspective?

Japan's export control violates the WTO rule by artificially limiting the number of shipment to Korea.

This is a very clear cut case of WTO rule violation, 3 specific rules to be exact.

Japan removing preferred status from Korea violates no rules.

If Korea wanted to have preferred status, their inept leadership shouldn’t have torn up then 2015 “final and irreversible” agreement with nothing in place, leading to unrest and uncertainty. Leadership 101.

Now they have destroyed their ability to negotiate because no one is going to make good-faith negotiations with someone who makes a final agreement, then renegs after the fact. Competent leaders know this. Korean leaders don’t.

They cut off their nose to spite their face, now they’re whining about the pain of having cut off their nose.

In the end, the sun and the moon will realize that they both make day and night.

@Mitsuo Matsuyama

I have watched youtube videos recently, and I realized that this trend news has been very common in k media.

I am not quite sure what you are talking about, but I am curious what you think about this Youtube video regarding the nation-wide, anti-Korean bashing at the governmental level in the Japanese media. Except Japan, is there any country in the world where bookstores have a special sector of books that instigates hatred for a specific country. Imagine that bookstores in Germany have a special sector for books that encourage hatred for Jewish.

https://youtu.be/Mcx4hpBowtA

What do you think about this?

@tictactogo

Can someone please explain how does removing ROK from whitelist enlisted in 2004 would violate the free trade?

The WTO rules require all nations to sell to each other without restriction in quantity.

Japan's export control violates the WTO rule by artificially limiting the number of shipment to Korea.

This is a very clear cut case of WTO rule violation, 3 specific rules to be exact.

The only exception allowed on no export control rule is if two countries are about to go to war. So the only defense that Japan can make when Korea takes Japan to the WTO for export control is that Japan thought Japan and Korea were about to go to war during the summer of 2019. 

so I can understand series of incidents during past one year had somehow contributed Japan to come up with their decision this time.

Politics have no bearing on trade matters.

@Richard Burgan

Yet, certain critical materials exported to South Korea ended up going to disallowed nations (AKA North Korea).

Absolutely no Japanese material was shipped to North Korea. North Koreans acquired critical materials directly from Japan, because Japan's export control was far more lax than the ROK's superstrict export control.

The only instance of Hydrogen Fluoride shipped outside of Korea was a defective product return back to its manufacturer in Japan.

I would like to dedicate the new Taylor Swift song to S. Korea.

It's called ''You need to calm down''

Delisting ROK from the whitelist is Japan's prerogative, but we certainly can't divorce ourselves from the timing , especially coming after the ruling and its threat to implement the then unspecified comebacks.

I think Japan did the " Final and irreversible " agreement , which in its mind , could have been a " settling out of court " in our normal courts. Japan hoped that the Korean government would handle the issues quietly with the aggrieved individuals just like an out of court settlement does.

This is the same mistake they did in 1965, now twice, without representatives from all parties being at the table. A government is another entity from an individual. Now that the individuals sued and the court awarded, the government of Moon can Not interfere with that judicial ruling. For those of us who understand that governments and their three independent arms of Executive, judicial and legislative would know this well.

I agree with @Cogito Ergo Sum that precedent is probably a big factor. So is nationalism, which is on the rise almost everywhere today. Of course many Koreans are just as nationalistic (or more even). Japan has shown remorse for entering a war it could not win. In this way, they have shown humility. But I don't think most Japanese people have shown much kindness to Korea or China, and this extends to politicians. This is my personal view, based on years of living in Japan. Korean food, yes, Chinese food, yes. But the people? Usually the words "Korean" and "Chinese" are uttered with contempt. Sure, you can say the same thing about how many Koreans or Chinese speak of Japanese. I get that. But they have not dominated Japan in recent history.

Finally, we have the dismal Japanese electronics industry, which was once the pride of the nation. Japan should fight in the marketplace by making good stuff people want to buy instead of punishing Korea. Makes something good!

I have watched youtube videos recently, and I realized that this trend news has been very common in k media. It seems to me that it is only being emphasized in that country. Other countries almost don't talk about this subject or even don't mention about it. Maybe because other countries really don't care about it.

Why don't you read the article below? You would get smarter after reading.

Japan, back off on Korea: Samsung and Hynix are not Huawei

by Claude Barfield

http://www.aei.org/publication/japan-back-off-on-korea-samsung-and-hynix-are-not-huawei/

SK and Japan, you guys are two peas in a pod. SK claims a tiny island and refuses arbitration w/ Japan. Japan claims a tiny island and refuses arbitration w/ China.

SK put Dokdo on its Olympics map and Japan protested so SK online posters tell Japanese to stop complaining.

Japan put Takeshima on its Olympic map and SK protested so Japanese online posters now telling Koreans to stop complaining.

It’s hilarious to watch you two go at it without any sense of self reflection.

Kazuaki Shimazaki

law is useless as you prejudged then what if you don't even have such laws?

What's your point huh??

The individuals can do watever they want, they can sue and take it court as is part of their rights.

The courts can pass or deny a ruling as is part of their constitution.

The problem comes in when a courts decision gets backed by the national government.

Most the time when there is a local ruling against another country, it just becomes a symbolic gesture, nothing more.

But when you have inept goverment leaders who basically just pee on international norms and start making demands on other countries knowing full well that their negotiation position is low, it just makes them look foolish in the eyes of the world.

Especially when the incompetence of these leaders spillovers into the economic and industrial sectors.

Wouldnt it be nice if Korea's leaders actually had skills in international relations, then maybe they wouldn't be complaining so much about being weak.

Only the implementation of the German model of contrition for its horrendous acts against humanity will satiate all parties concerned. It's about time.

Umm, maybe you should try to figure out what has actually happened before yapping about it. Japan made a full good-faith effort, at which point they negotiated a "final and irreversible" agreement with Korea to resolve the issue.

Which flies entirely in the face of your entire

"Final and irreversible " This was an intergovernmental ( INSTITUTIONAL) agreement of which Individuals were not Party to. Individuals lodged the case as sovereigns.

>

South Korea has recently chosen to bring up old wounds from the WWII and pre-WWII era. Agreements were reached many years ago and signed by BOTH countries. What Japan did was really inhuman. After the agreements both countries moved on to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. Both countries developed economically and in many other ways. With the most recent change in South Korea's government the old issues came back. Bad things happen when you don't honor your agreements. Japan has allowed "favored nation" trade status for South Korea. Yet, certain critical materials exported to South Korea ended up going to disallowed nations (AKA North Korea). South Korean courts have allowed several complainants to seize assets of Japanese companies. How did you expect Japan to react? I don't expect either country to change their policy and the situation will get worse. So, maybe South Korea should develop it's own capabilities so they won't be dependent on other countries. Japan will lose it's market. And, all will be well. Or, maybe he who threw the first punch should apologize and reverse course.

Can someone please explain how does removing ROK from whitelist enlisted in 2004 would violate the free trade? ROK is the only country enlisted in its whitelist and Japan have every rights to add or remove any time they want, so why are they complaining?

Considering Japan's overwhelming pardons historically given to ROK for consistent rudeness and disrespectful manners, it was quite surprising that Japan took the action on July 4th without prior notice (although ROK had been ignoring Japan's request of bilateral talks for 3 years) so I can understand series of incidents during past one year had somehow contributed Japan to come up with their decision this time. Nevertheless, it is completely up to Japan to decide whether to remove ROK from the whitelist and Japan doesn't require any explanation.

@Heckleberry

But it was a court decision that triggered all of this. In SK the judicial system is independent of the governing party. This is not Japan where a corrupt polly would attempt to influence the jucidial system.

No one would complain no matter how absurd the court verdict would be as long as it stays domestic and NOT to intervene with diplomatic treaties.

@Chip Star

Yeah, South Korea was also a real victim of Japan in WWII. It's not worth engaging you beyond ridiculing your blind support for Japan and hatred of Sourh Korea.

In 1943 (before the national conscription in Sept 1944), 303,394 Korean ethics volunteered to participate in WW2 and only 1.9% were accepted. So who is playing ridicule and blind by pretending to be victim here?

What Koreans need to understand now is that the reconciliation between ROK and Japan will not succeed if Koreans continue to play historical victims because Japan is not as ignorant as they used to be. If you choose to deny what Japan has to say and keep hiding behind anti-Japan narratives, then you can forget about the reconciliation because Japan really don't need Korea as you are starting to observe their change in behavior.

The gist of Japan's attitude to all this, and in NO way am I condoning its behavior, is that Japan FEARS setting a precident. We all know that Japan is hitting back for the Korean judicial rulings on the Koreans enslavement. Japan can't hit back and win judicially and win plus the historical skeletons would be too much for it. So , it's framing this retaliation as a security cum economic issue to get back at Korea.

Umm, maybe you should try to figure out what has actually happened before yapping about it. Japan made a full good-faith effort, at which point they negotiated a "final and irreversible" agreement with Korea to resolve the issue.

Which flies entirely in the face of your entire post. Hence the need for you to fact check.

The gist of Japan's attitude to all this, and in NO way am I condoning its behavior, is that Japan FEARS setting a precident. We all know that Japan is hitting back for the Korean judicial rulings on the Koreans enslavement. Japan can't hit back and win judicially and win plus the historical skeletons would be too much for it. So , it's framing this retaliation as a security cum economic issue to get back at Korea.

If Japan concedes and pays monies to Koreans, their fear is that, a precedent would have been set and the floodgates of similar cases would proliferate all over Asia and beyond. That's Japan's major fear, I'd think. Morally ? It's not Japan's place to say the case is settled, the victimized people have that onus.

OMG ! The cavemen had better senses !

South Korea was included in Japan's white list only since 2004, so when they say the removal from that list would ruin an economic relationship developed in 60 years they aren't objectively correct. It's a preferential treatment that South Korea got only recently.

Japan and Korea contradict each other all the time-it’s extremely childish!The politicians just care about gaining brownie points

Both countries need to grow up already!

This is too funny, Korea is finally getting what it deserves

I am very surprised that the leaders of Japan , South Korea and the rest of the people involved in trade disputes do not see the real culprit here. The real culprit is America, I have many friends that live in America and in America the middle class have disappeared. What does this mean ???. This means that the economy inside America is not good as Trump wants to say. Therefore, unrest must be created in terms of trade. Why ???.so that dumb Asian politicians will turn to America again. But the truth abt trade is , the pot of real goal is in all parts of Asia not in America or Europe. If business is good at home, which president have time to manipulate anything ???.No money at home and too much time at hand.

@Taehong KimToday 01:07 pm JST

OK, I skimmed the thing. Where Japan lost points to Korea is Legislation (40 points) and Ability to Prevent Proliferation Financing (44 points). What that suggests (assuming the reading is accurate) is that Korea has tougher (less freedom respecting) laws. More importantly, it does not take into account as to whether South Korea is willing to ignore its own legislation for its Northern brothers. Laws are useless if they are politely ignored for your "kin".

I still haven't heard any explanation from the supporters of South Korea as to why South Korea is refusing to allow third party arbitration of their dispute with Japan as specified in the 1965 treaty. Why won't South Korea uphold the treaty it willingly signed?

i thought they are playing Go!!!! hahaha

Funkseoul

First, we are not southeast Asians. Historically, Japan invaded Korean peninsula numerous times. If you don't know the history (recent one is not half of 19th century but 20th) well, go and dig it up.

Second, Abe still keep bowing to the tomb of 1st grade war criminals.

Third, Abe government wants to be a normal country that is able to involve in wars in other soils again.

Fourth, South Korea is one of largest importing country of Japan stuff. And also South Korean is the largest number of visitor second to Chinese, which shows well the economic relationship between two countries.

Finally, We want constructive relationship with Japan as long as Japan government behaves reasonably. But look what Abe government did recently. The reaction of South Korea is far away from a childish emotional jerky movement as you said. It is rather rational, factual, and historical one.

And also, if Japan re-apologizes to Korea and China, will that be the end of it?

Can we all move on?

Fred Wallace is outraged by my attitude, but I am freaking innocent man. Never did anything except nice stuff to my Korean and Chinese friends.

So, do you believe that if the government (obviously since this generation didn’t) re issues a state apology, would that end China and Korea’s identity crisis?

It's definitely true that there is propoganda on both sides of the Japan-Korea conflict. But to say that this justifies Japan's reaction to Korea's court ruling is to create a false equivalency, similar to that used by white supremacists. In very recent times, Koreans were the victims of genocide and slave labor. Japanese were NOT victims of Korean genocide and slave labor.

Fred Wallace

You say that forgiving and forgetting instead of seeking revenge and pouring hate into future generation is cause for outrage?

And the globe does not consist of your several western nations either.

The victors write history and whitewash themselves. The British were way worse than anyone for example. They killed everyone for centuries. How come we don’t hear much about that? I lived in India and Pakistan and they didn’t blame the British for everything that goes wrong now.

If the issue is with Japanese textbooks, then that should be brought up correctly, and if they are full of nonsense, I agree they should be re written.

But Japan has apologized and normalized relations, many many times and many years ago. Throwing a fit whenever you don’t get your way, and using the past to legitimize your actions is what’s wrong.

Abe's insisted that export curb is not a retaliation but national security matter, which is totally deception. The link below is PPI (Paddling Peril Index) which simply shows how a country control their strategic materials such as nuclear parts.

http://isis-online.org/ppi/detail/peddling-peril-index-for-2019/

USA......1st

...

Republic of Korea......17th

...

...

Japan.......36th

Japanese don't make yourselves deaf and blind although your fascistic government tries to. Open your eyes wide and look around the world though you live in islands.

Mr. Kim,

The other Asian countries, specifically speaking Southeast asian countries that have been invaded by Japan circa WWII i.e. Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar have long ago forgiven Japan for their greatest misdeed.

Only China & you, Koreans have this never ending anger & childish, petulant attitude towards Japan until today, even though many leaders of Japan have expressed regret & asked for forgiveness for the action of their past military leaders.

You played yourself as the biggest victim of the 1st half of 19th ce turbulent era, but that couldn't be far from the truth.

Many, in the Southeast asia (that have been conquered & invaded by the British, Dutch, French) couldn't even ask for proper compensation from their former colonists, even though there were many proven incidents wrongdoings & atrocities.

I don't want to waste my time to write the examples, because you lot will still be blinded from the facts & truth.

Here's a tissue Seoul. Boo hoo.

I absolutely agree with Obladi.

God, how can people really come on a forum such as this and repeat twaddle like "if Japan had admitted their war crimes, as Germany has"?

The list of official apologies should be copied onto the registration page and be required reading for any new members.

Oh, but yes, I forgot, they were not "remorseful" enough, so they don't count.

The point is not about the official apologize that several Japanese prime ministers gave through the decades.

What many people wanted and still want is also that the government will educate the mass in what happen rather than hide the truth,even the new history school textbooks omit parts of the atrocities committed by the IJA.

The federal republic of Germany not only heartfully apologized to it's past mistakes,like Brandt kneeing in front of the Polish people,but also the German institutions teach about to acknowledge war crimes committed by the Nazis.

In many German places and cities there are memorials dedicated to the holocaust,a way to remember something that should not be repeated again.

And no,Germans are very proud of their 2000 years,said that they also understand that this particular portion of history must be something to be ashamed of.

I am no pro Korean or Japanese and I think in this case both are wrong,the governments of each of these two asian countries is stubborn.

But if Japan would modify it's history text books and teach the whole truth without black spots then maybe a warmer relationship will come with Korea and with the other northern east Asian neighborhoods.

EU even have less countries in their whitelist, only 8 including Japan and so do Australia. However South Korea is not included on the whitelist countries which is telling...

If Japan had admitted their war crimes, as Germany has, Korea and China could be expected to move on. Unfortunately, Japan has denied their past. Abe and Aso are openly proud of Japan's past. They should be deeply ashamed.

Not true. As President, Moon can absolutely overrule the sham court "decision", punishing Japanese companies, through Presidential powers. Almost every nation is the same. "Indepenence of courts" is an ideal, but there are always exceptions.

In what democratic nation can a President overrule a court's decision? SK is a functioning democracy unlike Japan's single party Fascist rule.

The number of people agreeing with 'Ganbare Japan', esentially a parody account, shows the crowd mob mentality of JT is at serious levels. Keep agreeing with each other in your Japan-centric bubble.

maybe the calendars made in Korea all say "1952?"

Other issues such at force labor, seizing Japanese assets and trying to sell them, no one else can interfere. S. Korea wants no 3rd country to intervene on such issues as selling Japanese companies assets, they want 1 on 1 diplomacy so they can back track on anything they say or sign.

Heckleberry

Let me get this straight by you? This whole thing was triggered by one decision? Korea has been cool and keeping by agreements, and for the sake of our future(s), at least trying to be civil, and now one court decision has derailed the last 50 years?

Yeah I think you and Moon alone believe that.

@ zurcronium

It's not without merit that Japan has decided to remove SK from the whitelist and claim that there is a security risk. SK has violated the UN sanctions against NK more than once.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3004452/south-korean-ship-detained-illegally-trading-north-violation-un

And Japan isn't barring SK from receiving the goods in question; they just need to go through the 90-day vetting process like many other nations. Had SK not been caught violating UN sanctions against NK, SK would have legitimate beef with Japan.

But it was a court decision that triggered all of this. In SK the judicial system is independent of the governing party. This is not Japan where a corrupt polly would attempt to influence the jucidial system.

The clowns hurling insults and yelling at the cloud, criticising the politicians who had no control over the court's decision are ridiculous.

Not true. As President, Moon can absolutely overrule the sham court "decision", punishing Japanese companies, through Presidential powers. Almost every nation is the same. "Indepenence of courts" is an ideal, but there are always exceptions.

It is up to Moon to stop this nonsense and stop it fast, or else SK is in a Great Depression.

According to participants, most countries aren't much interested in this two country dispute (that they can talk for each other at other place) and it would probably be dropped out of WTO agenda as there are so many disputes.

Korea getting more and more pathetic by the day. Also getting poorer, less job prospects, and opportunities for its youth.

Stop banging the right wing political drum you always do and fix your own house.

But it was a court decision that triggered all of this. In SK the judicial system is independent of the governing party. This is not Japan where a corrupt polly would attempt to influence the jucidial system.

The clowns hurling insults and yelling at the cloud, criticising the politicians who had no control over the court's decision are ridiculous.

Taehong Kim

Sorry buddy, but Koreans are far more indoctrinated and spoon fed exaggerated history points.

I am Japanese American and I dont doubt that horrid things happened in war. But my grandfather wasn’t even old enough barely to remember and I am in my 30s.

Its incredible that young Koreans are still filled with hate the need for revenge. Hate and bitterness will ruin your life! Check your own house and put it in order!

Korea getting more and more pathetic by the day. Also getting poorer, less job prospects, and opportunities for its youth.

Stop banging the right wing political drum you always do and fix your own house.

There’s no national security involved. Why now? They seem to have known this for a while? Pure politics.

South Korea as usual is barking up the wrong tree. All they have to do is agree to Arbitration as called for in the 1965 Treaty. But they just can't help playing the WWII victim card. Which isn't going to move any countries because a number of them are real victims of Japan in WWII and they have moved on like adults.

Yeah, South Korea was also a real victim of Japan in WWII. It's not worth engaging you beyond ridiculing your blind support for Japan and hatred of Sourh Korea.

(Hitech necessities) Export curbs by Abe government irrationally based on Supreme court judgement of South Korea was issued a way of retaliation that is obviously violation of free trade principles of WTO. Be aware of that the treaty of 1965 between Korea and Japan dosen't cover compensations for individual personnels who were forced to work and not paid and also comfort women which is basically sex slaves.

Japan has played role of victims since end of wwii which is ridiculous. Japan was the invader. Yet they haven't regret at all officially. Real victims were Koreans and other east asians that Japan empire exploited, raped, and slaughtered.

Young japanese should have been taught about those history correctly but they haven't. Japan has just overlooked what their ancestor visciously did.......Shameful.

Pay the victims and regret what you have done to them instead of inaptly breaking world supply chain.

It seems to me that all other countries don't want this two country issue to get involved with WTO. Other countries have many other important issues that should be discussed at WTO. They maybe think this issue would waste money and time of WTO for years.

Japan expressed the reason of its actions was "from the viewpoint of the national security". So essentially it's not a diplomatic affair. It's a domestic affair of Japan. SK should improve the quality of the national trade management.

Unfortunately so many politicians live in a historical time warp, the war ended over 70 years ago, many acts against humanity were committed on all sides , and are still happening in conflicts today, and for some thats all that keeps their political careers going. Politicians face more urgent needs today, and thats were they should focus, instead of banging the conflicts drum. All countries do it, by dragging conflicts on and on, it takes away the the true domestic problems that each country faces, and as usual those citizens are not getting the major decisions needed for those problems

US tech firms sent a joint letter to Japan urging Japan to drop this nonsense trade war.

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005893265

U.S. firms: Japan-ROK spat could cause harm

SEOUL (Bloomberg) — U.S. technology companies urged Japan and South Korea to negotiate a resolution to a dispute that threatens to up-end the global supply chain that the world’s top electronics brands rely on make their products.

Five of America’s largest tech industry groups including the Semiconductor Industry Association, which counts Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp. among its members, issued a joint letter to Japanese Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko and South Korean Minister of Trade Yoo Myung-hee. They asked both sides to refrain from escalating their conflict, which flared after Japan slapped restrictions this month on exports to South Korea of three materials vital to the production of chips and cutting-edge screens.

dear child nation Korea: check the calendar, it's 2019

Banning hi-tech products to South Korea has nothing to do with trade, or "punishing" Korea. It is simply a security measure, and has nothing to do with the illegal court ruling. The WTO and Trump will be on Japans side.

Wow, that is really ridiculous. Why after 60 years of open trade has SK become a security risk? This is

politics pure and simple. Japan warned Korea to not proceed with the labor judgement or Japan would retaliate. Which is what they have done now. It is so obvious.

Trump hates the WTO, they will not agree on anything. Second thing said above that is not rationale.

Last regarding the issue of the work slavery Japan imposed on Korea for 35 years being out of date, I seem to recall a 1970s kidnapping issue that its alive and well on NHK and other propaganda media outlets. Such

incredible hypocrisy on display once again by the LDP and their radical right wing followers. NK also says the issue is closed but it shambles on in Japan regardless for political reasons only.

"But no other WTO members took the floor, and diplomats from several other countries told Reuters they preferred not to get involved in the dispute between two nations with an intertwined and complex history."

In other words, a Japanese victory!!!!!

South Korea as usual is barking up the wrong tree. All they have to do is agree to Arbitration as called for in the 1965 Treaty. But they just can't help playing the WWII victim card. Which isn't going to move any countries because a number of them are real victims of Japan in WWII and they have moved on like adults.

"That clearly shows that Japan has not confidence or even courage to face what Japan has done," he said. 

Says the country that has refused to settle the Liancourt Rocks dispute at the ICJ three times, and refuses to abide by the Arbitration Clause in the 1965 Treaty.

It is a very grave matter that shakes the foundation of South Korea-Japan economic partnership and Northeast Asian security cooperation that has been maintained and developed for more than 60 years," Sung Yoon-mo, the South Korean industry minister, told a briefing

But South Korea can't see that their continuous WWII victim game of constantly breaking agreements and treating their ally like an enemy state hasn't shaken the foundation of SK-JPN economic partnership. As long as they keep p;laying this game and accusing Japan of doing precisely what South Korea has been doing all these years, there's no hope of reconciliation.

Well gosh, that's a surprise.

Banning hi-tech products to South Korea has nothing to do with trade, or "punishing" Korea. It is simply a security measure, and has nothing to do with the illegal court ruling. The WTO and Trump will be on Japans side.

But no other WTO members took the floor, and diplomats from several other countries told Reuters they preferred not to get involved in the dispute between two nations with an intertwined and complex history.

LoL that just says it all...

But why on Earth is Korea still banging on this?!

According to JT "experts" this is just Japan cutting its own nose; there are thousands of suppliers out there, thus hakuna matata, no worries at all.

Good work there with the seating arrangement.