TOKYO -- Japanese brands from beer to clothes were walloped by a boycott by South Korean consumers last year -- but tech names stood out for their resilience, according to data assessing the effects.
The boycott was sparked a year ago when Japan's government imposed curbs on exports of chipmaking materials needed by South Korean semiconductor producers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Although Tokyo says the restriction was prompted by concerns over South Korea's own export restrictions, some see the move as related to South Korean court rulings that allow assets of Japanese companies to be seized and used to compensate Korean victims of World War II-era forced labor.
