Japan Brief/FPCJ, No. 0774
October 10, 2007


Extension of Economic Sanctions Against North Korea

At the October 9 Cabinet Meeting, the Japanese government decided to extend its unilateral economic sanctions against North Korea, which were set to expire on October 13, for an additional six months. These sanctions include a complete ban on imports from North Korea and a total ban on the entry of North Korean ships, including the Mangyongbong passenger and cargo ferry, into Japanese ports. In addition, Japan will continue the sanctions that it is implementing under a United Nations Security Council resolution, which include financial sanctions, such as freezing of the accounts of missile-related companies and individuals, and a ban on the export of luxury goods to North Korea. Japan introduced its sanctions in protest against North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles in July 2006 and expanded them following its nuclear test in October of last year.

Speaking to the press on October 9, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura explained, “Because there has been no concrete progress on the abduction issue, and in light of the circumstances concerning North Korea’s nuclear problem, we decided it was necessary to continue the sanctions.” He added, “There is no change in our basic policy of wanting to realize the normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea as soon as possible. On this occasion, we would like to call on North Korea to take concrete action towards resolving the remaining issues.” Japan’s basic standpoint is that there can be no normalization of relations with North Korea without a solution to the abduction problem.

Newspaper Editorials: Issues for Prime Minister Fukuda
Following the Japanese government’s decision to extend the economic sanctions against North Korea, all the main newspapers, with the exception of The Nikkei, carried editorials on the issue in their October 10 editions.

Under the headline “Sanctions on N. Korea: Fukuda should change Japan’s simplistic policy,” the Asahi Shimbun editorial stated, “While running for Liberal Democratic Party president last month, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stated, ‘I want to be the one to resolve the abduction issue.’ North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly remarked during the recent North-South summit that he intended to ‘ascertain the direction of the Fukuda administration.’ Given this background, Japan’s decision to extend the sanctions was too simplistic. Perhaps the Fukuda administration is still too new to have formed its North Korea policy yet. But if that is the case, it must waste no time in forming one, for a major transition in international diplomacy is expected, with the six-party talks at the core.” Regarding the question of how Japan should be involved in the provision of economic and energy assistance and humanitarian aid to North Korea by the other countries in the six-party talks, the editorial observed that “Japan must quickly make up its mind on how it intends to be involved in this process.” The Asahi commented, “Japan must become more specific and detailed in its demands concerning Pyongyang’s handling of the abduction issue, and extract a response from Pyongyang. By linking its demands to energy aid to nudge Pyongyang further toward abandoning its nuclear ambitions, Japan ought to forge ahead to resolve the abduction issue, step by step, in collaboration with Washington and Seoul. Naturally, an offer from Japan to lift the sanctions would serve as an effective bargaining chip. The once-frozen foreign relations of North Korea are beginning to thaw around the Washington-Pyongyang talks. Japan must not miss the bus. Fukuda should come up with a comprehensive North Korea policy as soon as possible and deal swiftly with the changing circumstances.”

The Mainichi Shimbun editorial, headlined “Seek breakthrough on abduction issue through Japan–North Korea talks,” commented, “In the present situation, with no concrete progress to be seen on the abduction issue, the continuation of sanctions is unavoidable.” Similarly, it took a positive view of the statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura, observing, “That was quite reasonable, considering the meaning of Japan’s sanctions against North Korea as a form of pressure vis-à-vis the nuclear problem, which is a common concern of the international community, and vis-à-vis the abduction problem, which is a specific issue between Japan and North Korea.” However, the Mainichi went on, “Japan must not adopt a stance of sanctions for sanctions’ sake. Some subtle changes have begun to appear in North Korea’s attitude toward dialogue. In last month’s Japan–North Korea working group meeting, for example, Pyongyang avoided saying that the abduction problem has been settled. Japan should cultivate such promising openings and promote talks. It should also firmly continue its sanctions until North Korea shows it is responding in good faith.”

The Yomiuri Shimbun editorial, headlined “N. Korea’s N-program still threatens Japan,” stated, “Pyongyang has not yet given up its plutonium and nuclear weapons. It is not known where they are stored. How much plutonium and how many nuclear weapons North Korea owns is also unclear. The nuclear threat posed by North Korea has not been mitigated in the least. In response to North Korea’s nuclear test, Japan---a nation under immediate threat from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs---imposed its own economic sanctions on that country, including a ban on port calls by North Korean ships. A year after the nuclear test, the circumstances remain unchanged. Thus, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda had every reason to decide to prolong the sanctions for another six months.” It emphasized, “For years, Japan has maintained that it will never normalize ties with North Korea and extend economic aid to that country unless such thorny bilateral problems as the dispute over North Korea’s kidnappings of Japanese and the nuclear weapons and missile issues have been resolved. Japan has demanded that North Korea take concrete actions to uncover the truth about the abduction of Japanese and solve other bilateral problems. The United States should not delist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism unless Pyongyang takes those measures.”

Under the headline “Survival of all abductees must be prerequisite for talks,” the Sankei Shimbun editorial labeled “totally unacceptable” reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had told South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in their recent summit talks that “there are no more Japanese abductees” in North Korea. It added, “As long as no progress is seen on the abduction problem, a further extension [of the sanctions] is to be expected.” The Sankei noted, “The Fukuda cabinet should aim for talks with the North on the premise that all 12 recognized abductees are alive. If North Korea says that they are no longer alive, it needs to provide evidence that is acceptable to the victims’ families and the Japanese people, such as the cause of death, remains, articles left by the deceased, burial places, and so on.” Furthermore, the Sankei stressed, “As a mood of rapprochement gathers momentum between the United States and North Korea, some may doubt the effect of Japan’s own economic sanctions. But the fact that the Japanese money and goods that the Kim Jong-il regime craves are not going directly to the North is without a doubt a blow to them. The Fukuda cabinet should maintain the diplomatic stance of the previous cabinet, that of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which put its emphasis on pressure vis-à-vis North Korea.”

(Copyright 2007 Foreign Press Center / Japan)