South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee says she will continue to seek support from Japan for her bid to become the new chief of the World Trade Organization(WTO).
In a meeting with reporters at the government complex in Sejong City on Thursday, Yoo was asked about Tokyo’s alleged opposition to her candidacy amid trade and diplomatic conflicts between the two countries. She said she will ask for Tokyo’s support, appealing to how the two countries worked together in the past.
The South Korean minister called Japan a “very important” member of the WTO, adding she will emphasize to the country that she is the right person to lead and reform the global body.
Yoo said while meeting with the representatives of around 120 member countries in Geneva during her campaign this month, she also contacted the Japanese ambassador in the Swiss city and shared her thoughts and visions on the WTO.
Stressing that well-functioning multilateral trade systems will be also helpful for Japan given the importance of trade to its economy, she also referred to Japan’s position that it prioritizes reform-minded candidates.