Tokyo Urges Japanese Citizens To Be Vigilant In S. Korea Amid Likely Anti-Japan Rallies

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2019) The Japanese Foreign Ministry has issued a travel advisory for people visiting South Korea, warning of potential anti-Japan protests that will happen around South Korea's crucial anniversaries as the relations between two Asian nations continue to deteriorate.

On August 14, South Korea will for the second year commemorates Korean "comfort women" who were kept as sex slaves by the Japanese army during World War II. August 15, meanwhile, is the day both North and South Korea celebrate the National Liberation Day of Korea, the anniversary of the peninsula's liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945.

"Those who are planning to travel or reside in South Korea and those who are already residing there, please be cautious, stay away from areas where the demonstrations will be held and avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble. In case of going out, especially when visiting Japan-related facilities and their neighborhoods, please carefully assess the surrounding situation to avoid getting involved in unexpected situations," the advisory read.

Relations between Japan and South Korea soured when the latter's top court ruled earlier this year that a number of Japanese companies could be sued for their use of forced labor during World War II. Tokyo views South Korea's claims as unfounded, recalling that Japan paid $500 million to Seoul in 1965 to establish diplomatic relations and finally close the issue of compensation.

On July 1, Japan announced it would be limiting the export of three chemical components, namely fluorinated polyimides, photoresist and hydrogen fluoride, to South Korea, dealing a hard blow to the latter's tech industries. On August 2, Japan removed South Korea from its list of trusted trading partners, a move Seoul regarded as a violation of the World Trade Organization's norms. South Korea responded on Monday with a similar step against Tokyo.