The South Korean government would be “glad” to have the UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee investigate recent claims by Japan that it has violated sanctions against North Korea, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

The comments, made by a high-level government official at an off-the-record briefing, come in response to recent allegations by Tokyo that Seoul breached sanctions by transferring banned materials to the DPRK amid a growing trade spat between the two countries.

Japan earlier in the month tightened restrictions on exports of key materials in manufacturing semiconductors and display devices, in a move intended as retaliation against a South