Japan to relist S. Korea as preferred trade country amid thaw in ties

Japan will relist South Korea as a preferred trade partner after a similar decision by Seoul on Tokyo’s trade status, the Japanese government said Friday in the latest sign of a thaw in bilateral relations.

Japan will restore South Korea’s preferential status after it was revoked in 2019 for the purchase of products that could be diverted for military use, according to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The removal of South Korea from a “white list” of countries that are entitled to receive minimum restrictions in trade came as the two countries’ relations had worsened to their l...