Presidential Office: "Japan Restores South Korea to White List... Accelerating Exchange and Cooperation"

Lifting of Export Restrictions Between Korea and Japan After 4 Years
"Simplified Export-Import Procedures... Symbol of Restored Trust"

On the 27th, the Presidential Office welcomed the Japanese government's decision to re-designate South Korea as a preferential export screening country, commonly known as the 'white list,' stating, "With the simplification of export and import procedures, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries are expected to accelerate further."

Lee Do-woon, spokesperson, said at a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, "Today, the Japanese Cabinet decided to re-designate our country on the white list, lifting all export regulations between South Korea and Japan after four years."

Spokesperson Lee evaluated this measure as "a symbolic action showing that trust between the two countries in the field of export control has been fully restored amid active economic cooperation following the restoration of shuttle diplomacy between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida."

Meanwhile, regarding the opposition party's passage of a resolution to block the ocean discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a key official from the Presidential Office told reporters, "It is not appropriate to comment on every move of the opposition party," but added, "When science and rumors clash, science must prevail as justice." This was an evaluation of the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water issue as an unscientific rumor.

Opposition lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee passed a resolution solely by the opposition during the morning plenary session, titled 'Resolution to Withdraw the Fukushima Contaminated Water Discharge Plan and Urge Measures to Ensure Seafood Safety and Protect Fishermen.'

Regarding the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) walking out during the 8th plenary meeting of the Minimum Wage Commission, claiming that the government is suppressing labor, the official responded, "It is very difficult to agree with the claim of labor suppression," and said, "I think this is a process of establishing the rule of law related to labor-management relations."

Additionally, when asked whether investigations into past school violence would continue during the screening of candidates for ministerial and vice-ministerial appointments and how verdict documents would be obtained, the official explained, "We will look into personal and children’s issues regarding school violence," and added, "Regarding verdict documents, since they involve personal privacy, we are diligently verifying them within limits that do not cause conflicts, and I believe this was included in the current screening as well."