We start at the top office....<br />President Moon Jae-in says Korea has coped well with Japan's trade restrictions.<br />He also called on his administration to help targeted industries become more competitive moving forward.<br />Shin Se-min starts us off.<br />President Moon Jae-in praised his administration for its handling of Japan's trade restrictions against South Korea, which have been in effect for almost 100 days.<br />Speaking during a weekly Cabinet meeting-- the president said swift countermeasures by the country and businesses, coupled with the Korean people's united response, meant the country was able to make progress despite such sudden trade curbs.<br />And the president also said these difficulties could prove to be an opportunity.<br />"By turning it into an opportunity and a turning point, it would fundamentally transform our industrial structure and become a huge help in enhancing our economy's competitiveness."<br />Moving forward,... President Moon on Tuesday added that both the government and the parliament should up their communication to get a special bill passed aimed at helping local industries associated with materials and parts gain a competitive edge.<br />He also called on the Cabinet to do its best to upgrade the competitiveness of the targeted industries,... with the upcoming launch of a government-led committee focused on the materials and equipment industries.<br />October 11th, this Friday, marks one hundred days since Japan removed South Korea from its whitelist of trusted trading partners granted preferential treatment in the trade of sensitive industrial materials.<br />The backdrop of that-- a ruling by South Korea's top court that ordered Japanese firms to compensate South Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's occupation in early 19-hundreds.<br />And despite Seoul's continuous call for diplomatic dialogue-- Tokyo has since kept quiet on the issue,... and the leaders Moon and Abe have not yet held a single summit meeting this year.<br />With the Japanese Emperor's enthronement ceremony happening in two weeks-- expectation is brewing again as to whether that might serve as a turning point for the two neighbors-- with perhaps South Korea's Prime Minister attending the ceremony on behalf of the president,... signaling the start of a diplomatic thaw in relations<br />Shin Se-min, Arirang News.<br />
