TOKYO – Japan decided to restore South Korea to its list of preferred trading partners, the latest step toward bolstering relations that will help them strengthen cooperation with the US.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have taken steps this year to resolve issues tied to Japan’s colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula so that the two nations canThe announcement comes as the leaders of Japan and South Korea prepare for a trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden. That meeting could be held as soon as late August, the Yomiuri newspaper said earlier this month.
Both countries are major players in the chip industry, where bolstering supply chains is increasingly seen as a matter of national security. Japan is clamping down on exports of chipmaking gear as the US ratchets up efforts to limit China’s access to advanced know-how.