The South Korean government on Aug. 12 excluded Japan from its white list for export procedures. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo said in a briefing that "Ga" regions, which are white countries, will be classified as 'Ga 1' and 'Ga 2' based on the current strategic materials export and import notification, and that existing white countries will be classified as 'Ga 1' and Japan, which was excluded from white list this time, will be categorized as 'Ga 2'."
"The new Ga 2 zone will include countries who operate export control systems that do not conform to the principle of international export control among the four major members of the international export control-joining ones. The revised notice this time will categorize Japan as the Ga 2 region," said Minister Sung.
The existing number of white countries in Korea was 29 that joined the four international export control systems-- Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Australia Group (AG), and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), but the comparable became 28 as Japan was excluded from it.
In principle, the level of export control for the Ga 2 zone will be applied to the level of 'Na' region that does not belong to the previous four major export controls. However, it plans to exempt some of the individual license application documents and the permit to broker strategic materials.
Existing Ga region was required to obtain comprehensive export permits for users, while Na region was required to obtain individual export permits. North Korea and China belong to the Na region.
The revision to the export-import notice of strategic materials will take effect in September after collecting opinions, reviewing regulations and screening by the Ministry of Government Legislation in accordance with the usual notice revision procedures.
"If the Japanese government requests consultations during the period of collecting opinions, the South Korean government is ready to respond to it anytime, anywhere," Sung added.
When Japan passed a revision to the Export Trade Management Ordinance that excludes Korea from the white list at a Cabinet meeting on Aug. 2, Korea declared that it would exclude Japan from the white list.
