|
|
 Japan Brief |
| 【Japan Brief】Leaders of Japan and South Korea Reaffirm Coordination in Policy Toward North Korea |
Japan Brief/FPCJ, No. 0936
June 29, 2009
Leaders of Japan and South Korea Reaffirm
Coordination in Policy Toward North Korea
On June 28 Prime Minister Taro Aso held bilateral talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo. The meeting took place as part of the so-called “shuttle summit diplomacy” between Japan and South Korea, in which the leaders of the two countries regularly exchange reciprocal visits. It was the eighth time for the two leaders to hold direct talks since Prime Minister Aso’s appointment in September 2008, but the first since North Korea defiantly carried out a nuclear test in May of this year.
According to reports in Japan’s major newspapers, in their latest meeting the two leaders agreed in their understanding that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses a grave threat to the security of Northeast Asia and is totally unacceptable, and that it is important for the international community to thoroughly enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874. In addition, the two leaders confirmed that Japan and South Korea will promote cooperation, including the exchange of information, aiming at thorough implementation of the sanctions resolution, and agreed in their understanding that China has an important role to play toward the solution of this problem. They reaffirmed that Japan, South Korea, and the United States will continue to cooperate closely on the issue.
After affirming that the six-party talks are the “most realistic and effective framework” for tackling problems involving North Korea, Prime Minister Aso and President Lee agreed in their understanding that, in view of the present situation in which North Korea is refusing to participate in the talks, at some point in time a meeting of the other five countries to discuss their response might be meaningful if it contributed to progress in the six-party talks. They agreed to continue discussing the matter with the countries concerned.
Besides the North Korea problem, the two leaders also agreed, among other things, to hold councilor-level consultations on July 1 toward the resumption of negotiations on an EPA (economic partnership agreement) between Japan and South Korea and to promote cooperation between the two countries with regard to assistance for Afghanistan and Pakistan and antipiracy measures in the sea off Somalia.
In a joint press conference held after the meeting, Prime Minister Aso said, “We had an especially lengthy and extremely useful talk about the North Korea problem, which is the biggest issue at present. North Korea’s nuclear and missile development is a grave threat in terms of security and totally unacceptable. We reaffirmed that Japan and the Republic of Korea, and also the United States, will cooperate in dealing with the matter.” He added, “From now on also, together with President Lee I intend to further strengthen the mature partnership [between Japan and South Korea].”
Newspaper Editorials
Japan’s five main newspapers all carried editorials on the bilateral summit in their June 29 editions, stressing the importance of Japan and South Korea strengthening their cooperation in response to North Korea’s nuclear threat.
The Asahi Shimbun editorial stated, “What is important now is to discourage North Korea from further military provocation while creating an environment that encourages it to return to the negotiation table. Instead of simply trying to exert pressure on North Korea to take desirable actions, the countries involved need to make tenacious diplomatic efforts to achieve their objectives using both the carrot and the stick. For that purpose, Japan, the United States, and South Korea, which can more easily discover a commonality of interest on North Korean issues, should expand their concerted efforts. Earlier this month Lee visited Washington and met with President Barack Obama. Aso will also hold talks with Obama and other leaders during the annual Group of Eight summit next month. These opportunities should be used effectively by the three countries to clarify and secure their common interest.”
The Mainichi Shimbun editorial commented, “Prime Minister Aso and President Lee agreed to consider holding talks among the five countries participating in the six-party talks excluding North Korea. In the joint press conference, after stating that he thought the six-party talks were the ‘most realistic framework,’ Prime Minister Aso said that five-party talks ‘should be considered as a means of advancing the six-party talks.’ . . . The prime minister probably remained cautious out of consideration for China (which has not revealed any official line on the holding of five-party talks). But since North Korea has adopted the hard-line attitude of ‘never again returning to the six-party talks,’ five-party talks can be seen as one way of breaking out of the deadlock.”
The Nikkei editorial asserted, “The important thing is for the international community to cooperate in observing the resolution and this time for sure, through effective sanctions, to put a stop to North Korea’s recklessness. The time has come for Japan, the United States, and South Korea to form a solid axis and tighten the pressure. At the same time, these three countries have an important role to play in urging the member states of the United Nations, including China, which is thought to be cautious about the actual enforcement of sanctions, to faithfully implement the resolution.” It also noted, “On economic matters, the two leaders agreed to upgrade the working-level consultations on an economic partnership agreement between Japan and South Korea to the councilor level. There is a mountain of issues to be tackled, including the response to South Korea’s continually expanding trade deficit with Japan and market opening by Japan’s agricultural sector, so we hope that the negotiations are resumed as quickly as possible.”
The Sankei Shimbun editorial commented, “At the G-8 summit to be held in Italy from July 8, it will be necessary to put together effective sanctions against North Korea. It is extremely important that Japan and South Korea were able to coordinate their views ahead of that meeting.” It went on, “The closeness between the two leaders counteracts the scheming of North Korea, which is trying to divide Japan and South Korea, and will also put a brake on any unilateral moves by the United States to compromise with Pyongyang. It is necessary for these two neighbors, which share the values of freedom and democracy, to further deepen their mature relationship.”
The Yomiuri Shimbun editorial opened, “As long as North Korea does not change its provocative attitude, it is important for the international community to patiently continue to put pressure on the country.” It went on, “. . . it is possible North Korea could turn a deaf ear to warnings by the countries concerned and dare to launch longer-range missiles. The international community needs to prepare for a protracted struggle. Meanwhile, it is important to discuss a new way of consultation in preparation for a future return of North Korea to the six-party talks. If the talks continue as five-party talks without North Korea, as proposed by Lee, such an occasion would be a good opportunity to deepen the discussion for that purpose.”
(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center, Japan)
*Japan Brief is an original production of the Foreign Press Center, Japan, and does not represent the views of the Government of Japan or of any other body.
<Related Articles>
-UN Security Council Adopts Sanctions Resolution Against North Korea(2009-06-17)
-North Korea Conducts Second Nuclear Test(2009-05-26)
-UN Security Council Adopts Presidential Statement Condemning North Korea(2009-04-15)
-US President Obama Lays Out Overall Strategy Toward Nuclear-Free World(2009-04-09)
-North Korea Conducts Missile Launch(2009-04-06)
-Abductee’s Family Members Meet Former North Korean Spy(2009-03-12)
-【Press Briefing Report】Prof. Masao Okonogi, Keio Univ.: North Korean Issues and the New U.S. Regime(2009-03-10)
|
|
|
|
