US won’t intervene in Japan-S. Korea dispute – diplomat

The top US diplomat for East Asia urged Japan and South Korea to settle a dispute over Japanese export restrictions through dialogue and said Washington did not plan to intervene, Reuters reported on Friday.

David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told NHK that the US encourages both sides to focus on other issues in the region, notably North Korea.

Stilwell is also scheduled to visit South Korea during his trip to Asia, his first since taking up the post last month.

Tokyo and Seoul are locked in a diplomatic row after Japan last week slapped export curbs on key materials used by South Korean tech companies.