South Korea's trade minister on Sunday said the government can take international legal action against apparent retaliations by China against the joint Seoul-Washington plan to deploy a high-tech missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula.
"The South Korean government is keeping close tabs on retaliatory measures taken by the Chinese authorities and deal with any discrimination or damages that South Korean companies are suffering from," Trade Minister Joo Hyung-hwan said in a statement. "It will seek international legal action against possible violations of the World Trade Organization and the Seoul-Beijing free trade agreement."
His comments came as China has taken a series of provocative actions against the Korean Wave and businesses as Seoul move to station the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
On Thursday, Beijing told major travel agencies in the country to stop selling tour packages heading to Korea.
Following the measures, the South Korean trade ministry sent a letter to the Chinese embassy in Seoul on Friday, asking the Beijing government to do its part to protect South Korean investment.
The trade ministry said it will have a task force meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways to cope with the impact of China's retaliation on each industry such as cosmetics, food, steel, electronics and petrochemicals. (Yonhap)