Tit For Tat: The South Korean Government Will Take Various Measures To Deal With Japan's Trade Retaliation.

In August 8th (2019), the ROK government held the "Ministerial Conference" and "the adjustment meeting of the State Administration's suspension of investigation". The review of the strategic materials import and export notice was carried out by Japan to delete the name from the "white list". However, the meeting failed to reach a conclusion and decided to retain it.

South Korean government officials said they would continue to revise the "import and export notice of strategic materials", but the specific content and schedule still need further discussion.

South Korea divides the strategic goods import and export area into first categories: white list countries and second other countries. The 4 countries that have joined the 4 agreements, namely, WA, NSG, AG and missile technology control agreement (MTCR), are listed as "white lists", giving "repeated generalizations" for many years. At present, 29 countries, including Japan, the United States, Britain, Germany and Australia, are listed as "white lists". However, the South Korean government plans to increase the strategic goods import and export area classification from 2 to 3, and classify Japan as "third countries". When Korean enterprises export strategic materials to Japan, they must apply for "individual license" at each time, and have to go through 90 days of audit.

It was originally predicted that the South Korean government would announce the amendment on the day of the meeting, removing the name from the white list, but when Japan formally promulgated the "export trade management amendment amendment" in August 7th, it did not expand the "individual licensing" project, so the South Korean government would take a cautious attitude. In addition, Li Luoyuan, Prime Minister of Korea, instructed the relevant departments to supplement and improve the effectiveness and arguments of "strategic materials import and export notices".

Although the Korean government did not announce the revision of the "strategic materials import and export notice", Japan was excluded from the white list, but the Ministry of Environmental Affairs announced on the day of the meeting to strengthen the radiation and heavy metal inspection of coal ash wastes produced in Japan. At present, the South Korean importing coal ash wastes from Japan can only be imported to the recognized organ's radiation analysis report. The Ministry of environmental protection only checks the authenticity of the radiation composition analysis once a quarter, but in the future, it will strengthen safety management and inspect all import cases. If the report is not true, it will take corresponding measures immediately.