January 11, 2018

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on January 10 issued a statement on the latest high-level talks between North and South Korea, in which both countries agreed on measures to improve the bilateral relations. The full text of his statement is as follows:

The Japanese Communist Party welcomes the fact that North and South Korea held the first high-level meeting on January 9 in over two years and that they agreed on the North’s sending its delegation to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea next month and on holding military talks. We strongly hope that this important first step will lead to avoiding a catastrophic war, easing regional tensions, and the eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Whatever difficulties exist, a peaceful resolution through dialogue is the only option to take. The JCP demands that the Japanese government work to promote dialogue and calls on countries concerned to refrain from provocative actions that will escalate regional tensions.