Cheong Wa Dae opens special webpage on Japan’s export restrictions

Cheong Wa Dae launched a special Japanese-language popup service Wednesday on its official website as part of efforts to publicize Seoul’s position on Tokyo’s export restrictions.

The service has been added to the Korean and English sites, offering translated scripts of President Moon Jae-in’s remarks on the matter, footage of related press briefings with Japanese subtitles and infographics.

The move came amid months of confrontation between the neighboring countries over trade. Japan opened fire in early July by introducing stricter export restrictions against South Korean firms in apparent reprisal for Seoul’s handling of historical issues related to Tokyo’s brutal colonization of Korea from 1910-45.

It then removed Seoul from its “white list” of favored trade partners. South Korea hit back by dropping Tokyo from its own white list and taking the trade issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“As government-level countermeasures continue recently, including the WTO petition, it has become important to deliver our government’s position accurately and swiftly to Japanese media and others,” Cheong Wa Dae said.

The presidential office added that it will regularly provide Japanese-language materials and content on the issue through the special page.