Senior South Korean officials are in Washington... amid the country's escalating trade tensions with Japan.<br />They want the U.S. to use its sizable influence over Japan to urge it to change course.<br />Tokyo has imposed heavily-restrictive trade control measures on Seoul.... that many watchers say are likely to hurt other global IT giants as much as they harm South Korean companies.<br />Oh Soo-young has more.<br />South Korea's Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Hyun-chong is in Washington to discuss major trade and security issues with his U.S. counterparts.<br />The trip comes amid growing regional trade tensions after Japan imposed unprecedented export curbs on key high tech components bound for South Korea.<br />Speaking to reporters at Dallas International Airport on Wednesday, local time, before transferring planes for Washington, Kim confirmed the trade spat will be one of the main topics of discussion.<br /><br />"I'm here as there are many issues to discuss with White House officials and lawmakers..."<br /><br /><br />"Will you request U.S. mediation on Japan's trade restrictions?"<br /><br />"That issue will certainly be discussed. Most definitely."<br /><br />Seoul's top diplomat for Bilateral Economic Affairs, Kim Hee-sang, is also in Washington, to meet his counterpart Roland de Macellus of the U.S. State Department.<br />He'll also sit down with Marc Knapper, the State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan to discuss "matters of mutual interest."<br />Kim is expected to explain the potential impact of Tokyo's controversial trade measures and the possible spillover effect on global businesses.<br />South Korean companies produce three-quarters of the world's DRAM chips, about half of 3D NAND semiconductors,... and the lion's share of OLED displays,... which are used by other global IT giants, such as U.S.-based firms Apple and Dell.<br />The South Korean officials are likely to ask Washington to diffuse the trade spat before it escalates even further.<br />Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.<br />
