Japan will impose economic sanctions on South Korea in the wake of disputed court rulings regarding forced wartime labor cases.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced on Monday that it will restrict three export items to South Korea from July fourth, including key smartphone and television components and parts essential in the chip production process.

The items are fluorinated polyimides, photoresists and etching gas.

Many South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, depend on these key items, and Japan accounts for 90 percent of fluorinated polyimides and photoresists as well as 70 percent of etching gas produced globally.

Japan will also exclude South Korea from a list of 27 countries where high-tech materials can be exported without government permits. Japanese firms that wish to export items to non-list states must apply for a permit that can take about 90 days to be approved.
 
Tokyo said that the measures were taken due to seriously impaired trust between it and Seoul.

Japan has contested rulings by South Korea’s Supreme Court this and last year ordering Japanese firms to compensate Koreans who were subjected to forced labor during the Japanese colonial period.