South Korea reinstated Japan to its list of preferred trading partners on April 24, marking a step toward improving relations three years after they downgraded each other’s trading status over historical disputes.
Japan’s return to South Korea’s “white list” of preferred trading partners will shorten the review period for exporting strategic materials to Japan to five days from 15, the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy stated. The number of documents required for such exports will be reduced to three from five, according to the ministry’s public notice. The change took effect on the same day.
The move occurred as South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol prepares for his first state visit to the United States for talks with President Joe Biden, which will underscore their “ironclad alliance,” according to Washington.
The South Korean government also tightened export controls on major industrial goods against Russia and its ally Belarus over Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the ministry stated.
South Korea and Japan removed each other from their respective preferential trade lists in 2019 after a South Korean top court ruling that ordered Japanese firms to compensate wartime forced laborers, causing their bilateral relations to deteriorate.
Yoon Reaffirms Commitment to Deepening Japan Ties
In an interview with The Washington Post published on April 24, Yoon spoke about his decision to restore ties with Japan and said he opposed the notion that Japan “must kneel because of [its] history 100 years ago.”“Europe has experienced several wars for the past 100 years, and despite that, warring countries have found ways to cooperate for the future,” Yoon told the newspaper.
“I can’t accept the notion that because of what happened 100 years ago, something is absolutely impossible [to do] and that they must kneel [for forgiveness] because of our history 100 years ago. And this is an issue that requires decision. ... In terms of persuasion, I believe I did my best,” he said.
Yoon had signaled his wish to improve the relationship between Japan and South Korea after he was elected last year.
At a ceremony to commemorate South Korea’s independence from Japanese rule on March 1, instead of asking for an apology from Japan, as previous South Korean presidents had done on that date, Yoon signaled a willingness to work with Japan.
“Today, Japan has transformed from a militaristic colonizing power in the past to South Korea’s important regional partner that shares the same values and can work together on the issues of security, trade, and global affairs,” he said in his speech.
Yoon said that he believes that in the context of the current geopolitical shuffle in northeast Asia, it’s important to change the previous strategy of maintaining a balance between the United States and China and to join the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy.
The two countries agreed on “the complete normalization” of a military intelligence-sharing pact during the summit in March. Kishida said he hoped to “open a new chapter” in the relations between South Korea and Japan by resuming bilateral visits “without being bound by formality.”
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