indier99 comments

@Oldman

With a name like Joori Roh, I wouldn't expect anything less than to mention dispute over compensation of forced labor as a 'factor' in the decision of Japan to remove South Korea from the white list. Indeed, no mention of the 156 cases of export violations by South Korea companies of high tech materials, and of course no mention of the South Korean government thumbing their nose at Japanese officials and repeatedly ignoring their request to resolve the issue long before this 'trade row.'

Those 156 cases were exposed and penalize by the South Korean authorities. The items in question were all reclaimed and discarded. Get your facts straight old man :)

So South Koreans call the islets Dokdo("Rock Island"), and the Japanese call them Takeshima("Bamboo Island"). From an etymological point of view and looking at the picture above I wonder which side's claim is more pursuasive than the other. Hmm...

Great story. The world needs more Japanese like him.

I really envy the Japanese retiring with all the state-of-the-art weapon systems. :)

South Korean "Intelligence" isn't very reliable or dependable by the Japanese anyway.

In fact, the reason why Japan banned high tech exports to S. Korea is BECAUSE these products ended up in North Korea via South Korea and were used to make the very missiles that the North is shooting at Japan.

That's pretty much a groundless accusation to me. I've never heard or read about a single piece of hard evidence being presented or found by the Japanese Government. Something smells fishy in all of this fiasco. :)

@juminRhee

South Korea isn't too hot either. Nearly every president has been arrested after term. Sweden, New Zealand, and Switzerland are better role models for both countries...and the US.

Who said that Japan should learn from SK? There's no role model for a country's democracy. Besides, I don't think a country that puts its presidents on trial and holds them accountable is a bad democracy.

That said, however, I don't understand why Japanese voters fail to change power despite all the ruling party politicians' scandals that have been exposed for the last few years. Does the bizarre and anachronistic name-writing ballot system has anything to do with this?

What a mess! As a Korean living across the sea, I really wish a more progressive and competent Japan. LDP in power for ever? How can this be even possible in a modern democracy?

I feel the majority of posters on this site have the tendency to lose his/her sense of right or wrong immediately whenever South Korea is involved. It's like a child who refuses to do the right thing just because the kid next door wants it to be done. :)

But Korea did 1965 accord and therefore, they must follow it.

Sure. And last year, the Korean Supreme Court ruled that the 1965 Treaty does not cover personal claims for indemnification. You can disagree with that decision as much as you like. But there are no international regimes that prevent victims of illegal forced labor from seeking compensation for indemnity. :)

The fundamental error here is that South Korea never signed the 1952 San Francisco Treaty. SK does not have any obligation to honor whatever is agreed upon between the parties of that Treaty. Unless, of course, one denies SK as a sovereign nation. :)

Do you guys even read the articles before commenting anymore? Sure doesn't sound like Japan is begging for anything.

"A senior Japanese official close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said Japan could probably live without the agreement because it has been utilized less than expected and that Tokyo can get information from Washington."

Ha ha. That's called "bluffing" in my part of town. :)

At its earnings news conference on July 11, the Uniqlo owner’s chief financial officer Takeshi Okazaki said he “thinks” that the impact of a boycott of Japanese goods wouldn’t last long.

What a mature and sensible thing to say as a CFO!

I happened to pass by one of their stores in a busy mall in Seoul. Believe me, it felt like a hazard zone. People avoided it as a plague.

Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Why should anyone exchange information with someone who says it is unwanted and of little use? Why bother? :)

Ha. Talk about the credibility of a government. It can't even say things as they are. The practices of "Saving face" and blatant denial are ruining Japan in so many ways. :)

ken1911jp and indier99, can you trust "Chosun" newspapers that you are citing? It is a pro-Japanese-imperialist newspaper published in Korea but has been criticized for its spotty fact-finding journalistic reporting for years, having its history of collaboration with Japanese imperialists during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula (1910–1945) and, after that, with Korean military dictators during the domestic authoritarian rule (1960s to 80s).

I hear you. I have always avoided that piece of garbage :)

But seriously, read my post again Dream2030. I was just quoting what another person said below.

@WilliB

So they hate Japan, but they absolutely want to trade with Japan. And this is way to promote a good trade relationship?

Korean logic, I suppose...

No. They just have issue with Mr. Abe, some of his hard-right cabinet members and the Nippon Kaigi. :)

What Koreans like me want is solidarity with all the Japanese people who want a more progressive and pro-democratic Japan.

South Korea’s New Car Sales Shares in 2019 (as of end of July)

Domestic Brands

Hyundai                                     34.94%

KIA                                             31.86% (66.80)

Ssangyong 6.81%

*(Owned by Tata Motors)         

Renault Samsung 6.32%

*(Owned by Renault)      

Foreign Brands

Mercedes Benz                         5.74%

GM                                             4.85%

BMW                                          2.94%

Lexus                                         0.77%

Mini                                            0.71%

Volvo                                         0.68%

Toyota                                       0.68%

Ford                                          0.60%

Jeep                                          0.55%

Volkswagen                              0.43%

Others                                       2.12%

Korean newspapers have reported cases of improper use.

http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/05/17/2019051700338.html

http://www.chosunonline.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/05/17/2019051780021.html

Strategic supplies that can be diverted to weapons of mass destruction, illegal exports from Korea surge

That was an incorrect report. The cases quoted in the article are failed attempts to export sensitive materials. They were exposed and stopped by the authorities. In fact, they are evidence of South Korea's effective export control system. :)