The government announced Monday it is tightening regulations on the export of several chemicals used in chip and smartphone production to South Korea amid the row with Seoul over wartime labor.
The new rules, which take effect July 4, come after South Korean courts ordered Japanese firms to compensate people forced into wartime labor, an issue Japan says was resolved when the countries resumed diplomatic relations decades ago.
“The export control system is built based on international relations of trust,” the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in announcing the move.
“After reviews by relevant ministries, it must be said that the relations of trust between Japan and South Korea have been significantly harmed,” METI added.
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