KOREA-JAPAN CONFLICT AT WTO

[Anchor Lead]

The issue of Japan's export restrictions against South Korea, was not discussed at the World Trade Organization(WTO)'s General Council in Geneva on Tuesday local time, and discussions were postponed to Wednesday. Nonetheless, representatives of South Korea and Japan continued their war of nerves at the WTO.

[Pkg]

Shingo Yamagami, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's economic affairs bureau, arrived at the WTO General Council meeting site, as the session was about to wrap up. Inside the conference hall was Japan's representative in Geneva Junichi Ihara. Yamagami said Japan will clearly convey its position during WTO sessions and repeated the stance that his country's trade measures do not violate WTO regulations.

[Soundbite] SHINGO YAMAGAMI(DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF JAPAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY'S ECONOMIC BUREAU) : "We believe the measures do not present problems under WTO rules and will explain this point to other member nations."

On the first day of the council meeting, discussions on other agenda items such as reforming the WTO appellate body dragged on, and the meeting only addressed 8 out of the 14 set topics for the session. Japan's export restrictions was 11th on that list, so discussions on that topic is postponed to Wednesday. Regarding Yamagami's argument that Tokyo's measures do not violate WTO regulations, Seoul's Trade Ministry’s deputy minister for international trade Kim Seung-ho said that is the Japanese official's own opinion. Meanwhile outside the conference venue, dozens of reporters from Korean, Japanese and global media outlets were gathered. The negotiators of South Korea and Japan are expected to go head to head during Wednesday's meeting in front of other WTO member nations when talks on the export curbs issue begin.