ANTI JAPANESE SENTIMENT IN KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

Enraged by Japan's export restriction on semiconductor-related materials, Korean consumers rose up to boycott Japanese-made products. Plans for relay protests in front of Japanese brand stores and boycotts of Japanese products or travel programs to Japan, are spreading fast in cyber space. We have the details

[Pkg]

A one-person protest is underway in front of a clothing store known to be ofa Japanese brand. She claims that Japan has launched an economic retaliation while hedging to resolve historical issues.

[Soundbite] KIM SU-JEONG(COLLEGE STUDENT) : "Japan's retaliatory measure targets Korean businesses and the Korean people. Boycotting Japanese products is our way of protesting."

One-person protests at other places staged including a Japanese car dealership and the Japanese Embassy. An increasing number of Korean consumers are refusing to buy Japanese products. A supermarket franchise reported that its sales of Japanese beer plunged more than 13%, following the Japanese government's announcement of an export restriction.

[Soundbite] KIM HONG-JUN(GYEONGGI-DO RESIDENT) : "Trade should be fair, but the Japanese government is imposing unilateral restrictions. I don't want to buy Japanese products at all."

In cyber space, a list of Japanese brands and products is being circulated to encourage Korean consumers' participation in the boycott movement. Online communities are inundated with postings about how Koreans cancelled trips to Japan and urging others to refrain from traveling to Japan.