South Korea is vowing to proactively respond to Japan once it decides to remove Seoul from its so-called "white list" of countries with minimum trade restrictions.<br />Together with the business sector,... the South Korean government plans to come up with joint countermeasures to push back against Tokyo.<br />Kim Hyo-sun reports.<br />Tokyo has requested Seoul to respond to its request by Thursday to establish a mediation committee to discuss the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling on the issue of forced labor during Japan's colonial rule.<br />However, the South Korean government says it cannot meet the deadline set unilaterally by Tokyo.<br />Japan is expected to remove South Korea from its so-called "white list" of countries with minimum trade restrictions,... under the grounds that Seoul refused to respond to its diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue of wartime forced labor.<br />After receiving feedback from related parties through July 24th,... Tokyo will likely deal with the issue during its cabinet meeting and remove Seoul from its "white list" in late August.<br />However, the schedule could be delayed depending on the results of the Japanese House of Councilors election slated for July 21st.<br />The timeline could also be affected by Seoul's message to Tokyo on its August 15th National Liberation Day.<br />Once Seoul is removed from the "white list,"... over 11-hundred items, including advanced tech materials and sensors, would be affected.<br /><br />"It'll be difficult to continue the development of future cars. There would be immense repercussions in many areas including employment."<br /><br />To this,... the South Korean government and businesses are planning to jointly respond to Japan's expected move.<br />Seoul's trade ministry says the government, public institutions and corporations are devising countermeasures to deal with Japan's trade curbs.<br />It added a supplementary budget would be earmarked for South Korean industries that currently depend heavily on Japan.<br />Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.<br />
