South Korea restores Japan on trade 'white list'
SEOUL: South Korea formally restored Japan to its list of countries it gives preferential treatment in trade on Monday, three years after the neighbors downgraded each other's trade status amid a diplomatic row fueled by historical grievances. In announcing the move through a government gazette, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also said Seoul will further restrict technology and industrial exports to Russia and its ally Belarus to support the US-led pressure campaign against Moscow over the war in Ukraine. After years of friction, Seoul and Tokyo are working to repair relations as they tighten their three-way security cooperation with Washington to counter the threat posed by North Korea. Pyongyang has used the distractions caused by the war to accelerate the testing of nuclear-capable missiles. South Korean officials expect Tokyo to restore Seoul as a favored trade partner too but expect that step to take more time based on the procedures to revise Japan&#