The move came as a response to a series of South Korean court rulings that have required a number of Japanese firms to pay reparations to former Korean workers who were forced into labor by Tokyo during World War II, while Seoul was a vassal state of Japan.
Tokyo approved on Friday a plan to remove South Korea from the 'white list' of countries that enjoy minimum export control, Reuters reported, citing sources.
Japan said the measures are based on national security concerns, citing South Korea's insufficient export controls, as well as the erosion of trust after the South Korean court rulings for reparations ordered Japanese firms to compensate forced wartime laborers, Reuters reported.
Seoul vowed earlier to announce a set of economic measures aimed at diversifying import sources and boosting national industrial competitiveness to help national producers cope with the economic consequences of Japan's export cuts.
Japan's move to limit the export of chemical materials to South Korea could reportedly affect the country's high-tech industries, including such electronics giants as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc.
