South Korea’s vice justice minister has utilized a regional gathering on international dispute settlements to speak out against Japan’s trade restrictions. 

Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo drew attention to the trade dispute on Wednesday while attending a roundtable of 46 countries in Singapore. Earlier in the day, the countries signed the Singapore Convention on Mediation. 

He said Japan’s export curbs on South Korea are driven by political and historical motives and amount to violation of World Trade Organization principles as well as Japan’s own advocacy for free trade. 

He stressed that Japan's latest trade moves are disrupting global economic exchanges and the global production network, and urged Japan to swiftly return to the free trade system.