Signs of Boycott Movement Against Japan's Export Restrictions?..."Won't Go to Japan"

[News S= Reporter Kim A-hyun] As the Japanese government has implemented 'export restrictions on core semiconductor materials' targeting South Korea, South Korean consumers are increasingly expressing strong backlash.

Japanese media outlets including NHK, Asahi, Nikkei, and Sankei reported in unison that the Japanese government has enforced export restrictions on three core items for South Korea starting July 4th, which are necessary for the manufacturing of semiconductors and other products.

Beginning July 4th, Japanese companies exporting fluorine polyimide, resist, and etching gas (high-purity hydrogen fluoride)—materials necessary for semiconductor manufacturing used in smartphones, TVs, and other products—must submit to the government documents detailing the intended use and methods, along with a commitment that the materials will not be used for military purposes.

As the approval process takes 90 days from application, a significant impact on South Korean companies is expected.

Consequently, reactions are surfacing mainly on internet communities and SNS (social media networks) calling for a strong response to Japan's unfair economic sanctions.

Park Jung-sook (37), an office worker, said, "During lunch today, I went to buy a pen, but all the good ones were Japanese pens. Korean pens didn't seem very good, so I didn't buy them, but I plan to consistently participate in a boycott of Japanese pens," she stated.

There have also been cases where people cancelled planned trips to Japan in line with the boycott movement against Japanese products. A man surnamed Woo (59) said, "A friend asked me to go on a Japan Olle tour again, but since the situation between the two countries isn't good, I withdrew," adding, "There are no good neighbors, and it seems the same even between brothers and sisters." Online, voices calling for an even stronger rejection of trips to Japan have also emerged.