Japan restricts exports to ROK over WWII row

TOKYO/SEOUL - Japan will tighten curbs on exports of hightech materials used in smartphone displays and chips to the Republic of Korea amid a growing dispute over forced labor of Koreans during World War II, the Japanese Industry Ministry said on Monday.

Tighter export controls, effective from July 4, would slow the export process by several months, hitting ROK tech giants, such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

The step came amid Tokyo's growing frustration over issues stemming from a ROK court ruling in October that ordered Nippon Steel to compensate former forced laborers when the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony.