According to a report by Japan's Kyodo News on June 12 local time, sources in Japanese and Korean foreign affairs said that the South Korean government has decided to formally apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP). The government is coordinating to hold a cabinet meeting in the second half of this month and announce the decision publicly.
After the United States withdraws from the CPTPP, Japan, which has been advocating for expanding its member states, is expected to express its support. Given the ongoing improvement in relations between the two countries, it has been decided by both parties to separate the issue of South Korea's restrictions on Japanese seafood imports due to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident from the process of South Korea joining the CPTPP.
After the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, South Korea has been prohibiting the import of aquatic products from eight Japanese prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, and Chiba. Although Japan has not made the removal of these import restrictions a prerequisite for South Korea's entry into the treaty, it plans to establish a practical consultation mechanism on aquatic product imports, gradually creating conditions for lifting the ban.
South Korean officials believe that if negotiations on easing restrictions on imported seafood from Japan are stalled and become deadlocked, Japan may still maintain a negative attitude towards Korea's entry into the agreement.
It is reported that after the Lee Jae-myung government announced its intention to join the CPTPP, it will also expedite the provision of relevant information to the South Korean parliament and the seafood industry.
