Japan rejects South Korean attempt to air trade row at WTO

GENEVA (Reuters) - Japan told the World Trade Organization on Wednesday its controls on exports to South Korea were based on security concerns unsuitable for discussion at the WTO, in the latest twist in a row between Washington's two biggest Asian allies.

South Korea earlier protested against a Japanese plan to remove it from a list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions, saying it would undermine their decades-old economic and security cooperation and threaten free trade.