Will South Korea lift the ban?

June 2, 2015

S.Korea agrees to talks over food import ban

Jun. 2, 2015 - Updated 05:53 UTC+2

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150602_20.html

Japan's fisheries minister has expressed hope that South Korea will lift its ban on fishery imports from areas affected by the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

South Korea has banned all imports of fishery products from 8 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, since September 2013.

On Tuesday, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that South Korea informed Japan last Friday that it will agree to bilateral talks in Geneva, Switzerland, based on a World Trade Organization agreement. Japan requested the meeting last month.

Hayashi said under the WTO rules, negotiations should start within 30 days of a request.

He added that the government will step up efforts to get South Korea to lift the ban, even as a date for the talks is being arranged.