Posted on : Jul.5,2019 16:01 KST Modified on : Jul.5,2019 16:18 KST

Kim Sang-jo, Blue House chief of staff for policy, talks to Blue House Spokesperson Ko Min-jung on July 4. (Yonhap News)

Tokyo unlikely to maintain export controls long-term in light of Tokyo Olympics

On July 4, Kim Sang-jo, the Blue House’s chief of staff for policy, said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had personally made remarks that contradict World Trade Organization (WTO) policy.

“Prime Minister Abe has personally said he’s imposing [the export controls] because South Korea has broken promises it’s made about our bilateral claims agreement and about the comfort women issue. For the Prime Minister to personally use such language means that he’s imposing economic sanctions for political reasons. Those remarks seem to directly contradict the Wassenaar Arrangement and WTO policy,” Kim said on the Thursday edition of the Newsroom television program.

“Japan no doubt chose items that can inflict the most damage on South Korea in the shortest period of time, but Japanese companies aren’t immune from the blowback. When we look at the value chain in major industries, this could create serious impediments to production for companies not only in South Korea and Japan but also in the US and Europe,” Kim said.

“It would be nice if Japan moderates its position following the election for the House of Councillors, but risk management doesn’t rely on optimistic assessments alone. We’ve got to consider all possible scenarios,” Kim said.

That said, Kim predicted that Japan’s restrictions on exports of key semiconductor parts to South Korea would be lifted before next summer’s Olympic Games, which will be held in Tokyo. “The most important political event for Prime Minister Abe is hosting and concluding the Tokyo Summer Olympics. He won’t drag out the current crisis that far,” Kim said.

“We’ve been preparing a long time for Japan’s measures. If we respond in a certain way to Japan’s first card, they’ll play their next card right away. That kind of escalation is probably what the Japanese government and Prime Minister Abe are aiming for, but I don’t think it’s desirable for us to get caught up in that.”

By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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