SEOUL, July 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone talks over Japan's restriction of its export to South Korea of technology-related materials and the issues on the Korean Peninsula, S. Korean foreign ministry said Thursday.
Kang, who was on a trip to Ethiopia, had a 15-minute phone dialogue Wednesday night (Korea time) with Pompeo, exchanging opinion on various issues of mutual concern, including the situations on the Korean peninsula and the relations between South Korea and Japan, the ministry said in a statement.
During the phone talks, Kang said Japan's trade restriction steps would cause damage to South Korean companies and have a negative impact on the world trade order as well as U.S. firms, by disrupting the global supply system.
Kang noted that it would not be desirable for the friendly cooperative relationship between South Korea and Japan as well as the trilateral cooperation including the United States, stressing that South Korea has maintained a position to develop the future-oriented relations with Japan.
The South Korean minister said the government hoped for Japan retracting the export curbs and not for the worsening of situations further, adding that South Korea will make efforts for the diplomatic resolution via dialogue with Japan.
Regarding it, Pompeo expressed his "understanding" of South Korea's position, agreeing to continue cooperation to strengthen diplomatic communications between South Korea and the United States and trilaterally among South Korea, the United States and Japan, according to the Seoul ministry.
The phone talks came after Japan slapped stricter controls last week on its export to South Korea of three materials vital to produce semiconductors and display panels used for TVs, smartphones and other tech products.
