South Korea and Japan traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States.
Officials from each side criticized or contradicted comments made by other and in media about whether Tokyo had apologized over what Seoul said was an inaccurate weekend statement about the agreement.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-japan-idUSKBN1XZ09
Where are the adults?
Japan and South Korea will hold senior-level talks on Dec 16 to discuss Tokyo’s export restrictions, Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said on Thursday (Dec 5). Speaking to reporters, Mr Kajiyama repeated Tokyo’s stance that Japan could address the issue of its export controls once South Korea takes appropriate action on its own management of export controls.
Japan in July put export curbs on materials used to make semiconductors, threatening the global supply chain of chips, a pillar of the South Korean economy.
Translation: We are OK to change our mind if you change your the mind, but we will not be first.