Trump offers to mediate
US President Donald Trump said Friday he remained at the ready to help South Korea and Japan solve their lingering dispute over World War II-era forced labor that has blighted their trade ties.
After South Korea's high court ordered Japanese firms that used forced labor to compensate victims, Tokyo in early July restricted exports of chemicals vital to Seoul's world-leading chip and smartphone industry in an escalation of their decades-old row.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said Japan's actions are politically motivated and have caused an "unprecedented emergency" for his country's export-driven economy.
At the White House, Trump said Moon "tells me that they have a lot of friction going on now with respect to trade, primarily with respect to trade. Japan has some things that South Korea wants, and he asked me to get involved."
"I like both leaders. I like President Moon, and you know how I feel about Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe. He's a very special guy also," the president added.
"So if they need me, I'm there."
Meanwhile, North Korea's state media has slammed Japan for its recent trade restrictions against Seoul, accusing Tokyo of "destroying the trend of peace" on the Korean peninsula.
After South Korea's high court ordered Japanese firms that used forced labour to compensate Korean victims, Tokyo earlier this month restricted the export of several chemicals to South Korea that are crucial to its world-leading chip and smartphone companies.
North Korea has repeatedly warned the South to stop "meddling" in nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington, but sided with Seoul for its trade row with Tokyo.
Pyongyang's remarks came as a top South Korean official said "all options" were open on the fate of a military intelligence-sharing agreement known as GSOMIA -- a pact that enables Seoul and Tokyo to share intelligence regarding North Korea -- if Japan does not withdraw its trade restrictions.
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