Japan Press Weekly

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2022 September 14 - 20 [POLITICS]

20 years have passed since signing of Tokyo-Pyongyang Declaration

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

It has been 20 years since the first summit took place between Japan and North Korea when Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il signed the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration on September 17, 2002.

The Declaration is a roadmap for comprehensively resolving issues between the two countries such as Japan's past colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula, North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals, and its nuclear and missile development programs.

Despite difficulties ahead, the Japanese government with its pacifist Constitution should establish diplomatic strategies for negotiating with North Korea based on the Declaration in order to resolve these issues.

During the summit meeting, North Korea for the first time admitted to and made an apology over the abductions. In reaction to this, the Japanese Communist Party in protest demanded that the whole truth behind the abduction issue be uncovered, people involved in the abduction cases be punished, and an apology and compensation be made to the victims.

The Pyongyang Declaration affirms compliance with all international agreements concerning nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea, however, repeatedly launched ballistic missiles and has since carried out nuclear tests six times by justifying its actions as nuclear deterrence. As the United Nations adopted resolutions severely condemning and imposing sanctions on North Korea, the country is increasingly isolated in the international community. North Korea should adhere to the Pyongyang Declaration and stop its nuclear weapons development program.

The JCP criticized North Korea's internationally wrongful acts such as the 1983 Rangoon bombing incident. Against this criticism, North Korea referred to the JCP as an enemy and began to interfere with the party. For nearly 40 years since then, the relationship between the JCP and the Workers' Party of Korea has been broken off.

The JCP, however, hopes for a comprehensive resolution of the issues between the two countries in a peaceful and reasonable manner as shown by the support for the Pyongyang Declaration expressed by the JCP 20 years ago. The JCP will continue to work for the establishment of an East Asia of genuine peace and cooperation.