Two tech giants face off due to poor diplomatic relations and brings the rise to a “tech war.” South Korea and Japan share a past of colonial rule, which is usually responsible for inhumane acts to the colonized. The conflict that started from colonial times has only escalated now into a modern war where both countries avoid trade between each other. It is most harmful in the tech world because of the large presence that these two nations have. For example, Japan closed its offering of fluorinated polyamides, photoresists, and hydrogen fluoride to South Korean companies. The reason this is harmful for both nations is because South Korea controls more than half of the international chip market, so there is a decline in this dominance due to the lack of essential materials for the chips, and at the same time Japan is losing its biggest customer. There have been attempts to resolve this trade by big influential figures who believed that pushing it any further would only damage the two nations, like South Korean President Moon Jae-In. Although the lack of mutual connection between Japan and South Korea is harmful to most of the other countries it actually seems to strongly favor China.

Being the huge manufacturer that it is, China can step up to serve Japan and South Korea by providing what the warring countries need from each other. The big Chinese companies like Huawei see the “trade war” as a favorable situation for economic growth and there is room for political advantages. By having key allies of the United States weaken each other, China gets an edge

The “trade war” has also gone directly to the doorstep of South Korean citizens. With the massive influence of media in the country, Koreans are incentivizing a boycott of Japanese products until the end of this war.

<Sungin Lee/ Woodbridge HS 12th>