S. Korea proposes probe by int'l body over strategic materials handling issue

Source:Xinhua Published: 2019/7/12 17:13:07

South Korea's presidential National Security Office (NSO) on Friday proposed to Japan that the two countries jointly ask an international body to probe into the handling of strategic materials by both countries after Japan's indication of South Korea having illegally smuggled the materials to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Kim You-geun, the NSO first deputy director of the Blue House, made the proposal during a press briefing, calling on Japan to jointly ask a panel of experts of the UN Security Council or a proper international organization to look fairly into whether South Korea or Japan violated international rules on the strategic materials transfer.

Kim said that if South Korea's violation of the UN Security Council resolutions is found after the international probe, Seoul will immediately apologize for and rectify it.

He noted that if the international probe finds no violation, the Japanese government should immediately apologize to and retract its export restrictions on South Korea, which he called "retaliatory in nature."

The comment came after Japan slapped stricter controls last week on its export to South Korea of materials vital to produce memory chips and display panels used for TVs, smartphones and other tech products.

Some of Japanese politicians recently indicated South Korea having illegally smuggled the materials to the DPRK.

The senior Blue House official expressed deep regret over the "irresponsible comments" by some of the senior Japanese officials that indicated South Korea's violation of the UN Security Council resolutions with no clear grounds.

Kim called on Japan to provide clear evidence for South Korea's violation or any inappropriate acts, stressing that whether Japan had violated any international rules should be thoroughly investigated.

A South Korean lawmaker of the minor conservative Bareun Future Party claimed Wednesday that Japan had illegally smuggled strategic materials to the DPRK, citing documents from Japan's Center for Information on Security Trade Controls (CISTEC).

Posted in: ASIA-PACIFIC

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