A task force and a situation team will be launched to deal with the recent decision by Japan to remove Korea from its “whitelist” of trusted trade partners, Seoul’s presidential office said Friday.

“(Cheong Wa Dae) expresses deep regret over the Abe government’s decision to remove Korea from the whitelist,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung said. 

Saying Seoul had continually called for dialogue with Japan, she added that efforts had been made to resolve the matter through communication until the last minute.

“Going forward, the government will deal sternly with Japan’s unjust measures.”

Ko said a task force and a situation team would be established to handle the matter.

The situation team will be headed by Kim Sang-jo, President Moon Jae-in’s chief of staff for policy, and the task force by Youn Kun-young, the director of the State Affairs Planning and Monitoring Office within the presidential secretariat.

Moon will also hold a Cabinet meeting later in the day.



By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)