한일 의원단 "심각한 상황 공감"했다지만…'문전박대' 외교참사

A group of South Korean lawmakers have wrapped up a two-day visit to Japan, which they say was a chance to deliver Seoul's stance on Japan's export controls and talk candidly with Japanese lawmakers.
Speaking at a press conference before leaving Thursday,... the 10-member team said they urged Tokyo to stop with its trade retaliation as it undermines their bilateral relations and regional security cooperation.
"Our delegation fully explained the concerns of the South Korean people. We first called on Japan to come to the negotiating table to resolve the issue diplomatically. Secondly, we said that removing Seoul from Japan's trade whitelist could have serious implications for bilateral ties and urged them to cancel or put off their plans. The ball is now in Japan's court."
The South Korean lawmakers said that the Japanese side shared the view that the trade dispute was a serious matter,... but Tokyo doesn't agree with Seoul's that its actions are unjust.
The South Korean side also suggested that they cooperate to resolve the issue of wartime forced labor.
The delegation also expressed anger over a cancelled meeting with Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party,... who is close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The delegation called the cancellation a diplomatic discourtesy,... saying that it indicates a strong willingness on Tokyo's part to go ahead and remove Seoul from its trade whitelist this Friday.