FILE PHOTO: National flags of South Korea and Japan are displayed during a meeting between Komeito Party members and South Korean lawmakers at Komeito Party’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
August 15, 2019
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese industry minister Hiroshige Seko said on Thursday that South Korea’s reason for deciding to revoke Japan’s preferential trade status was unclear and that he was seeking a detailed explanation.
Seko also told a news conference there would be little impact from the move on Japan’s economy.
South Korea on Monday said it would remove Japan from a list of countries with fast-track trade status from September, citing problems with export control measures. The move deepens a diplomatic rift between the two Asian neighbors.
(Reporting by Ritsuko Shimizu; Writing by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Joseph Radford)
