Parliament committee unanimously adopts resolution calling for withdrawal of Japan's export curbs

국회 외통위 '日 수출규제 철회 촉구 결의안' 만장일치 채택

In a show of support for the South Korean government amid heightened Seoul-Tokyo trade tensions.... the parliamentary foreign affairs committee adopted a resolution opposing Japan's export curbs against the nation.
Kim Mok-yeon has the latest.
On Monday, the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification committee unanimously voted for the resolution, calling on Japan to withdraw its export curbs of key high-tech materials to South Korea.
"Our committee seeks to adopt the 6th item on the agenda, the resolution calling for Japan to withdraw its export controls on South Korea, Are there any objections to this?
If there are no objections, I therefore announce that the resolution has been adopted."
The key points of the resolution are that through Japan's export restrictions, the Japanese government is harming the friendly relations between Seoul and Tokyo, and disturbing the free and fair trade rules.
The resolution called for Japan to withdraw such restrictions, and vowed for the Korean government to strongly react to the measures.
Seoul's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha, who attended the committee meeting, said that the resolution will be a major sign of support for the government's stance.
"The government's demand is that Japan should call off its export curbs against Korea. I believe that the parliament's resolution will be a great contribution to solving the issue."
The unanimous vote represents significant progress for the parliament, which had been stalled due to bipartisan wrangling over the passage of the extra budget bill and the bill calling for the dismissal of defense minister Jeong Kyeong-doo for the recent maritime security failure.
Earlier in the day, National Assembly speaker Moon Hee-sang and the floor leaders of Korea's three major negotiating blocs met to negotiate their differences, but during the meeting no breakthrough was made on opening an extraordinary session for July.
In order for the resolution to come fully into effect, it needs to be passed at a parliamentary plenary session. But with the parliament still at a standstill, there is a possibility that the resolution will still remain pending by the time the delegation of lawmakers heads to Washington on Wednesday to try to resolve the issue.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.