Todd Bishop
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoheo Kono and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Jing and met in Beijing on August 21 are expected to discuss the issue of forced labor and export control in World War II. Yonhap News Agency quoted sources as saying that on the eve of the meeting, the Japanese government once again approved the export of high-tech industrial raw materials photoresist to South Korea under the ban.
The report quoted the government-issued government as saying that the Japanese government recently approved a local producer to export photoresist to South Korean chip maker Samsung Electronics. This will be the second time that the relevant approval has been made after Japan banned the export of conductive key materials, fluorine-containing polyimides, photoresists and etching gases in July.
Kyodo News reported that the 21st meeting between Kono and Kogan will be the first time that Japan has removed South Korea from the “trade whitelist”. The two sides are expected to talk about the forced labor and export control issues of World War II. The report said that it is also planned to hold talks between the foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea on the same day.
South Korea’s Qingwatai said on the 19th that it has not yet decided whether to continue to sign the “Korean-Japanese Military Intelligence Protection Agreement”. The government is still studying and there is no final decision. The “Korean-Japanese Military Intelligence Protection Agreement” will expire on the 24th. It is speculated that the South Korean government may decide on the position of trade control on the basis of the foreign minister’s talks.
