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Japan rejects S Korean calls for scrapping of tech export curbs

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Hard headed fools! Their pride is getting in the way of what the PEOPLE want! Korean people and Japanese people get along quite well!

It's the damn politicians that have to screw things up!

-15 ( +7 / -22 )

Good for Japan. PM Abe is standing firm to bullying.

18 ( +27 / -9 )

Japan's trade minister Hiroshige Seko said at a press conference. "Is that a problem from the standpoint of the WTO?"

Of course. A totally illegal export control under the WTO regime.

-24 ( +4 / -28 )

This will obviously hurt the Korean companies that import that product, but it will only hurt the Japanese manufacturers producing it and exporting it. The time wasted in filling in these applications will increase the transaction costs for the Japanese companies, lower their exports, and hurt their profits. It will do the same for the Korean companies.

When two people are in the same boat, you don't shoot a hole in the boat because you want to hurt the other person.

Tariffs and trade restrictions are always self-harming policy. Even if it hurts others, it will also hurt you, especially the average people. If South Korea retaliates, this will become a race to the bottom. There are no winners in this race, everybody involved is a loser. The right-wing Japanese who are happy about this will not be so happy once they see the prices of smartphones and electronic appliances go up. Actually, now that i think about it, China might be the only winner from this race.

-16 ( +6 / -22 )

My god the amount of times Korea and Japan use the word “sincerity”...

It’s such a nonsense to pretend theres any sincerity in any of this. There isn’t even legitimate gripes or real anger.

This is 100% right wing politics.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Finally, Japan woke up from its passive, careful and considerate approach towards the little bully, Korea. A doze of their own medicine ha!

18 ( +25 / -7 )

Korean people and Japanese people get along quite well!

It's the damn politicians that have to screw things up!

I agree. It's the age old problem of politicians meddling in people's lives and causing or exaggerating problems so that they can then justify their existence and paycheck by having talks or introducing new legislation etc to solve the problem they created. The party line is that it's necessary to keep people safe or to right some wrong done in the distant past. It's been said that govt is racketeering.

-12 ( +4 / -16 )

"A totally illegal export control under the WTO regime."

Let the South Korean prove in at the WTO.

25 ( +27 / -2 )

It's the matter of national security of Japan. So Japanese government considers and decides about it. Because Japan is an independent nation. And the step is legitimate. That's all.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

"We ended preferential treatment (given to South Korea) and now treat it the same as other countries," Japan's trade minister Hiroshige Seko said at a press conference. "Is that a problem from the standpoint of the WTO?"

Exactly! Japan gave South Korean preferential treatment and what did Japan it get in return ?

22 ( +25 / -3 )

Lolololololololololoololololololol

Let me get this straight. japans imposing tarrifs on its own companies to get back at korea? Who in their right minds does this and expects to succeed. The ldp dinosaurs must have read the trump tarrif translations wrong. SMH.

Curious though. Once there's overproduction and a lack of market to sell to, how long does anyone think the industrial lobby funding dear leader will remain silent?

Because believe it or not, free market economies don't work like the dinosaurs are thinking they do. Once korea finds another source, you can guess who'll have egg on the face

-23 ( +3 / -26 )

why ??

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

yoshi, what national security you are talking about ? Are you secured if you constantly fight with your neighbours ?

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

Samit BasuToday  07:29 am JST

*Japan's trade minister Hiroshige Seko said at a press conference. *"Is that a problem from the standpoint of the WTO?"

Of course. A totally illegal export control under the WTO regime.

Korea has been the only Asian country on that list up to now. So Japan has been conducting illegal export control toward all other off-list countries including Korea's master China? Besides, we are talking about only 3 materials at this point. Where these Hwabyung all coming from?

12 ( +17 / -5 )

Neighbours will resolve difficult issues through talks, especially between smart neighbours.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

@Wallace Fred

Awww, so naive. Ask yourself this then: why do you think S Korea is in panic mode now? Japan has practical monopoly of those commodities. Where would S Korea get what they need fast and the volume they require? Nowhere. Not immediately and not in the amount they need.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

It would be good to know more about this alleged case of materials going through South Korea and ending up in North Korea. I wonder why we don't get more details about that claim?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

We've been informed, through data that Japan has virtual monopoly of both production & exports; yet JT "experts" insist there's no worries.

Suppliers, all over the world are lining up to fill the gap.

Reminds me of a similar argument posed by certain idiots in Britain.

Seriously, "JT experts"! What would we do without them?

Japan should let Korea sweat.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Peeping_Tom, what "Japan should let Korea sweat" ? Japan isn't a sadistic nation, as simple as that.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

The biggest trade partner for Japan is China as of today, both Import and export. Is China on Japan's white list?

Is China hysteric about Japan's illegal export control? Which country has been ignoring " sincere" talks not only about all those other touchy issues but also about the very issue on SK's control of those imported materials for last 3years???

Calm down little Korea. It's too early to make knee-jerk reactions like that. LOL

10 ( +12 / -2 )

@weedkila

I agree. It's the age old problem of politicians meddling in people's lives and causing or exaggerating problems so that they can then justify their existence and paycheck by having talks or introducing new legislation etc to solve the problem they created. The party line is that it's necessary to keep people safe or to right some wrong done in the distant past. It's been said that govt is racketeering.

Nail hit squarely by the hammer!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Check it on the Internet:  fluorinated polyimide, resist and hydrogen fluoride are available from non-Japanese sources. Japan does not have a monopoly on these materials. It would be a strain for S.K. to change suppliers but it can be done if Japan continues with its quasi-sanctions.

Though Abe (last I heard) denies that Japan's quasi-sanctions are not related the the forced labor compensation issue the fact is they are. Japanese arrogance will not change the Supreme Court's ruling that the offending companies must compensate their victims.

Japan has one tragic flaw: It overestimates its own power. This is the case here and it will not end in Japan's favor. Putting restriction on your exports even to one country is self-abuse.

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

Yeah yeah. Wait a week until after the election then this hard ball game will relax. The Japanese government is playing into their hardcore supporters. Let’s see. Yawn.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Check it on the Internet: fluorinated polyimide, resist and hydrogen fluoride are available from non-Japanese sources.

Manufactured yes, available no.

Most are either Taiwan or China. China is sure not going to export components that can be transferred to developing WMD and Taiwan is manufacturing it for domestic consumption so they are not going to have much to spare.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Amazing.

No "lingering bitterness and everlasting resentment over what South Koreans consider Tokyo's refusal to acknowledge comfort women and properly atone for its past wartime aggression."

Or something.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

As someone running a business in this industry in Japan and also dealing extensively with Korea I find all of this to be troublesome and a big pain and ultimately sad. Korea's confiscation of Japanese businesses and Japan's response are both wrong and most of the people I deal with (actual engineers working in this industry) feel the same way.

The leaders should meet and agree to take a step back with both parties rescinding the original issues (company confiscation and trade restrictions). I am not confident the leaders with do this as the "leaders" of both countries are way out of touch with the every day citizen (a problem all over the world...I know)

I am neither Korean nor Japanese but dealing with both countries directly I can say that if Korea and Japan could work closely together and put the past issues behind the two countries would be very, very formidable. Japan and Korea skill sets complement each other well.

Kind of sad to see this.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

@talaraedokko

Yeah yeah. Wait a week until after the election then this hard ball game will relax. The Japanese government is playing into their hardcore supporters. Let’s see. Yawn.

Probably more than that Abe is trying to achieve. He may want to break the stability in the Korean peninsula by a series of kamikaze attack in the form of trade war. At first, it seems suicidal, but even with those self-damages, he may be able to intensify the Japanese military with amendment of the Constitution. He may remember what the Korean war had brought Japan in the 1950s, or may wish a totalitarian military regime like the one during the world war II. Japanese people are surprisingly well trained to fit with fascism rather than democracy.

S. Korean government seems to be panicked at the dooming kamikaze attacks. Japanese people will want to see more spectacular attacks, as a recent poll shows that 60% of Japanese supports the economic retaliation.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

This is a Japan Korea thing, but this is hurting the west too. All those chip manufacturers that ship chips to your phone, your gpu, basicly most of the ram in the world, comes from Korea. And is dependent on timely delivery of Japanese chemicals. Ram is cheaper today than it has been in over TWO years. Expect prices to triple again, like have been for about 60% of the last two years. That means more expensive computers, gpus, and phones for everyone. So Japan is trying to bully Korea, but really just shooting itself in the foot, and everyone else in the world who buys modern electronics. (Hynix and Samsung are the two largest memory makers in the entire world, both South Korean)

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Micron Electronics and to some extend Global Foundry ships similar chips as well as various other small ones.

Samsung and Hynix are not the only suppliers in the world.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@Triring; while you are correct about Micron, Global Foundries is slightly different (as it is..a foundry). Yes there are some suppliers but Samsung and Hynix dominate and if they are impacted prices will certainly rise and it will have a global impact.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Funny how awarding Japanese Corporate patents to Korean Reparation Advocacy groups as a form of reparation work out.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@ stepoutsidethebox

(Hynix and Samsung are the two largest memory makers in the entire world, both South Korean)

SK Hynix supplies parts to Huawei...the communist government's electronic spy arm. Who knows if Samsung are also in the game? Wouldn't be surprised, given how the big S.Korean companies are all "family owned".

So it's good that Japan doesn't supply chips to Hynix which would only end up in communist dictators' hands and would be used to spy on Japan, SK, US, and countless others..including their own people.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Korea should look for 'comfort' somewhere else. Japan settled war issues long ago. Recent korean court decisions have unexpected results. Japan has every right to regulate exports. I think this response is brilliant!

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I feel it's matter of time Moon follows the same end as his teacher Roh Moo-hyun

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It would be interesting to learn how much the South Korean people know about the 1965 Treaty with Japan which normalized relations between the two countries. Specifically that the:

****South Korean government which insisted that it would handle individual compensation to its citizens and then received the whole amount of grants on behalf of the victims

Most of the funds from grants were used for economic development, particularly on establishing social infrastructures, founding POSCO, building Gyeongbu Expressway and the Soyang Dam with the technology transfer from Japanese companies

In short, Japan negotiated and paid compensation in good faith to the South Korean government and even offered to directly compensate victims. The South Korean victims have been screwed over by their own corrupt government of the day.

This whole argument wont fade away until the Korean government own up to what they did.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Interesting read in today's paper.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/07/09/commentary/japan-commentary/south-koreas-botched-handling-wartime-labor-issue/#.XSVdWFZS-1s

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Interesting read in today's paper.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/07/09/commentary/japan-commentary/south-koreas-botched-handling-wartime-labor-issue/#.XSVdWFZS-1s

It's a little short, but does express the problem with dealing with South Korea. Even when a supposed "final agreement" was made, a few months later SK withdrew from the agreement. Now they keep coming back expecting Japan to fix it, when they can't even be clear on what they want. The onus on proposing a solution is on SK. They need to sort out their crap and figure out what that is.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

@InspectorGadget

In short, Japan negotiated and paid compensation in good faith to the South Korean government and even offered to directly compensate victims. The South Korean victims have been screwed over by their own corrupt government of the day.

You and most Japaneses, including Abe, have no idea why the term 'compensation' was never used in the 1965 treaty. If you understand the reason, I am sure you are far better than Abe in the legal matter, and would not say that Moon or Abe should do something on it. Think about the reason after reading the 1965 treaty you linked above.

The ruling of the supreme court of Korea in 2018 was just one of the subsequent rulings following the landmark 2012 ruling. The 2012 ruling interpreted complex relationships between domestic and international law and the constitutions of both countries. Even Abe is not eligible for evaluating the legal context. Anyway, it is basically a ruling on domestic civil dispute between a civilian and another civilian (a Japanese company) within the S. Korean territory. If the Japanese companies can not follow the ruling, then they have to leave S. Korea. There is no reason that Abe or even S. Korean government meddle in the ruling of the court. S. Korean government never tried to intervene the rulings of Japanese courts on the wartime forced labor.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201811300061.html

https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a02703/

https://www.loc.gov/law/help/pow-compensation/japan.php

http://justice.skr.jp/estatement.html

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

S. Korea actions, backtracking on agreements, always looking for loopholes to take advantage and start the conflict again is the result of relations getting worse and steps needed to be taken by Tokyo.

Korea has been very abusive in this relationship taking advantage of a weak response from Japan on many issues. 1965 aggrement doesn't count, 2015 doesn't count, 93 compesation doesn't count, over 50 apologizes never happened.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I don’t often agree with the Japanese government but in this instance Japan is correct.

After all, it was South Korea’s former president’s dictator father who used the compensation money Japan paid in the 60’s for infrastructure rather than dispersing it to the actual victims.

Korea only has itself to blame. Japan did horrible things in the war just as Germany did. But former emperor Akihito spent his entire reign basically apologizing for Japan’s past atrocities.

I don’t understand what else Korea wants or expects. It was over 70 years ago.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Japan has cited an "inappropriate case" in adopting the tougher export rules, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicating a connection with sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile development programs.

I guess it is not that Japan is bluffing but the case is too serious to disclose in public for now. it's been

reported by FNN there were 156 cases already found of illegal exports from SK, which are all strategic materials convertible to military weapons、 for last 4years.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Capitalism, eh? Capitalism and Japan's war crimes are a too heady mix, and this is what you get - an increase in bad feeling and raising of tensions.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Gaijinland: "I don’t understand what else Korea wants or expects. It was over 70 years ago."

I know, eh? Why would the victims want some closure and an apology? It's like those people who want their kids back from North Korea that the government here harps on constantly -- I mean, it was ages ago, right? And what's with the Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorations every year? Sheesh, man! Ages ago, right?

Or... is it just when dealing with Japan's atrocities you have this opinion?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Be fair to Korea.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

This sounds like Moon is actually threatening Japan ...

Japan is doing the right thing and I doubt that the WTO will actually have a problem with what Japan is doing as they are now just treating S-Korea the same as everyone else instead of giving them special rights so no problem at all.

If S-Korea think they need to start another "war" because they want to get some more money again then bring it on, doubt it would help them in the slightest.

Sadly it is the same as the Nazis did, just shouting bad stuff about others and you get lots of people behind you. Talking it out in a proper manner doesn't get you any attention at all.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

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