<p class="title">Japan has lifted curbs on the export of a key microchip material to South Korea, news reports said on Saturday- days before the leaders of both countries will meet in their first formal talks after more than a year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ministry of economy, trade and industry on Friday removed photoresists- used to coat semiconductor circuit boards- from Tokyo's export restrictions against Seoul, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and other reports said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japan had tightened the export controls on three materials essential in manufacturing key products for South Korean tech companies like Samsung, in July, after a series of South Korean court rulings ordered Japanese firms to compensate wartime forced labour victims.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The move infuriated Tokyo, which insists the matter was settled in a 1965 treaty normalising diplomatic relations between the two countries and included significant reparations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tokyo's export controls led to Seoul threatening to withdraw from a key military intelligence-sharing pact, alarming the United States who said that would benefit North Korea and China.</p>.<p class="bodytext">South Korea later reversed its course and agreed to extend the pact "conditionally".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is due to meet South Korean leader Moon Jae-in, at a trilateral summit in China next week. </p>
<p class="title">Japan has lifted curbs on the export of a key microchip material to South Korea, news reports said on Saturday- days before the leaders of both countries will meet in their first formal talks after more than a year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ministry of economy, trade and industry on Friday removed photoresists- used to coat semiconductor circuit boards- from Tokyo's export restrictions against Seoul, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and other reports said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japan had tightened the export controls on three materials essential in manufacturing key products for South Korean tech companies like Samsung, in July, after a series of South Korean court rulings ordered Japanese firms to compensate wartime forced labour victims.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The move infuriated Tokyo, which insists the matter was settled in a 1965 treaty normalising diplomatic relations between the two countries and included significant reparations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tokyo's export controls led to Seoul threatening to withdraw from a key military intelligence-sharing pact, alarming the United States who said that would benefit North Korea and China.</p>.<p class="bodytext">South Korea later reversed its course and agreed to extend the pact "conditionally".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is due to meet South Korean leader Moon Jae-in, at a trilateral summit in China next week. </p>