GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization has stepped into the latest flashpoint between South Korea and Japan, agreeing to formally discuss Seoul's grievances over Tokyo's restrictions against exports of semiconductor materials later this month.
Paik Ji-ah, South Korea's envoy to Geneva, is expected to demand that Tokyo either fully justify the export curbs or withdraw them completely when the WTO's General Council convenes July 23-24. Japan will likely respond by reiterating that the trade strictures are based on legitimate security concerns.
