While Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that “the two countries will continue to discuss measures,” continuing the “exclude Korea” from the preferential group for simplifying export procedures, President Yoon Seok-yeol visited Japan and announced “normalization,” resulting in an unequal agreement.
On the 16th, the Japanese government announced that it would “lift the dispute with South Korea by withdrawing its appeal” only for measures to strengthen export control of semiconductor materials, which was in dispute with South Korea.
Prior to this, the Korean government announced the withdrawal of the dispute proceedings filed with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Japan's measures, and Yomiuri said, “The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) strengthened export controls on semiconductor materials and other products to Korea on the 16th. , and this is in accordance with the South Korean government’s announcement that it would withdraw the dispute proceedings filed with the WTO in relation to Japan’s measures,” it reported as a follow-up response to Korea’s withdrawal.
The Japanese government’s announcement only formalized the “lifting due to strengthening export controls,” while maintaining the “exclude from the export simplification preferential group countries,” leaving Korea as “continuing discussions on measures on the same day,” maintaining Korea’s existing “status as a party to the dispute.” did.
On that day, President Seok-Yeol Yoon visited Japan and said, "The decision made by the Korean government from the perspective of national interest and for the sake of the people at the national level." He said in interviews with three newspapers, including the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang, who visited Japan with President Yoon, said in Japan, "Japan has decided to immediately lift export restrictions on three items, including hydrogen fluoride, in 2019." The two sides agreed to closely discuss for the swift restoration of the white list,” said South Korea, who first withdrew the complaint, and then went to Japan, where Japan announced an “immediate lifting” and resolved the issue of “recovery of white countries.” to be excluded
On the 6th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea announced the “Policy for Bilateral Consultation for Restoration of Current Export Control Issues between Korea and Japan,” followed by policy talks with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan from the 14th to the 16th), and the biggest issue in the policy dialogue between Korea and Japan was Japan’s mutual agreement. President Yoon hurriedly visited Japan without resolving the 'white list of countries' (white list measures), a benefit system for simplifying export procedures, and the Japanese government officially confirmed this.