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| A delegation of Korean lawmakers departs for Washington at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday, to meet counterparts from the United States and Japanese in a bipartisan effort to resolve Japan's trade regulations against Korea. From left are Rep. Choi Gyo-il of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Rep. Lee Sang-don of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP), Yu Eui-dong of the BMP and Lee Sooh-hyuk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap |
By Park Ji-won
A delegation of South Korean lawmakers departed for the United States Wednesday afternoon to claim the unfairness of Japan's trade restrictions against South Korea at their upcoming planned meetings with counterparts from Washington and Tokyo.
The seven-member delegation, led by former National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), embarked on a five-day trip to the U.S. They are aiming to win backing from U.S. lawmakers and senior State Department officials for South Korea's position in the trade row with Japan.
President Moon Jae-in and political party leaders vowed last week to join hands to respond to Japan's trade retaliation. The National Assembly's foreign affairs committee adopted a non-binding resolution calling for the withdrawal of Japan's announcement. Japan implemented stricter export rules on exports going to South Korea on July 4 targeting three key materials for manufacture of semiconductors.
The delegation plans to relay the committee's resolution to U.S. and Japanese officials while exploring possible ways to resolve the disputes between the neighboring countries. Other Korean lawmakers plan to head for Japan from July 31 to Aug. 1 for a meeting with Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, on the trade friction issue.
Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), met U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton in a closed-door meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul Wednesday morning. Na's office said they shared thoughts about the possible impact of the Japanese measures on the trilateral military alliance between Korea, the United States and Japan.
