Tensions are high between Korea and Japan as a result of Japan’s export restrictions on three essential semiconductor materials exported to Korea and the removal of South Korea from their White List of countries. The Abe Administration announced that these measures were necessary to “ensure non-proliferation of weapons-related materials.” However, it is widely suspected that these measures were adopted as a retaliation against the Korean Supreme Court’s decision recognizing compensation for the forced labor victims during the Japanese occupation period. The Korean government filed a complaint concerning these measures at the WTO DSB for resolution under international law. In this research, the authors will critically analyze Japan’s export restrictions under international law to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the current conflict. This paper will tackle the relevant issues under the WTO/GATT regulations and the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement to address the issue of who violated international law.

Salmonellosis is a significant public health concern and a major cause of bacterial foodborne poisoning in Korea. Approximately 95% of salmonellosis cases in humans are related to the intake of contaminated food products, which mostly originate from livestock such as poultry, pigs, and cattle. To successfully develop strategies to reduce the spread of Salmonella, it is important to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. isolated from food animals and meat. In Korea, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cattle was 1.2 2.0%, whereas in pigs it was 1.5 21%. Of all livestock and meat products analyzed, the Salmonella isolation rate was the highest in chickens (18.8 30.3%) and their meat. Antibiotic resistance is an important social issue. The frequent use of antibiotics in the livestock industry has led to increased antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolates that are extracted from livestock, which raises serious public health concerns. To prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, it is essential to collect data related to antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains isolated from food animals and meat. Antibiotic resistance tests revealed that Salmonella isolated from cattle, pigs, and poultry were highly resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin. Recent studies show that the overuse of antibiotics in food animals can also affect antibiotic resistance in humans. Therefore, it is important to establish an appropriate management strategy to successfully prevent misuse of antibiotics within the Korean livestock industry.