Japanese civil servants have secured funding to bring allegations of price dumping and state support for South Korean shipbuilders to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Soft finance for South Korean orders in the form of refund guarantees is at the centre of the row, with any cuts threatening to impact the commercial viability of contracts.
After a series of talks, Japanese shipbuilders have agreed to back the complaint with their own cash and have said they will shoulder part of the considerable cost of the action, along with the government of Shinzo Abe.
