FILE PHOTO: National flags of South Korea and Japan are displayed during a meeting between Komeito Party members and South Korean lawmakers at Komeito Party's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

(Reuters) - The Japanese government is set to allow exports of some semiconductor manufacturing materials to South Korea, the first such approval since Tokyo tightened export controls on the products in July, Nikkei reported s.nikkei.com/2GV5Fnc on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is likely to announce the approval as soon as Thursday, Nikkei said.

The approval would serve as a relief for South Korea’s chipmakers, who were hitting a dead end in their quest to find alternatives for key Japanese materials that have been slapped with export restrictions.