S.Korea complains to WTO over China’s response to anti-missile system

SEOUL: South Korea’s trade minister said yesterday Seoul had complained to the World Trade Organization ( WTO) about China’s retal iation aga inst South Korean companies over the deployment of a US anti-missile defence system in the South.

“We have notified the WTO that China may be in violation of some trade agreements,” Trade Minister Joo Hyunghwan told parl iament in response to questions about China’s react ion to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ( THAAD) system in South Korea.

Joo said the issue was raised with the WTO’s Council for Trade in Services on Friday after China imposed restrictions on South Korean companies in the tourism and distribution sectors.

A trade ministry official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the complaint could not be categorised as legal action but was rather a request for the WTO to look into whether China was upholding trade agreements fairly. — Reuters