Japan Press Weekly

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2008 June 11 - 17 [JCP]

JCP has been calling for comprehensive settlement of North Korea issues

The Japanese Communist Party has underlined the importance of comprehensively settling issues involving North Korea, including its nuclear programs, its abductions of foreign citizens, and historical issues that are unsettled between the two countries in line with the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration of September 17, 2008.

On June 11, JCP representatives Kasai Akira took up issues relating to reopening the investigation of the abduction and extradition of Japan Airlines “Yodo-go” hijackers at the meeting of the House of Representatives Abduction Issue Ad Hoc Committee.

Kasai pointed out the fact that a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official had stated last September that North Korea would agree to discuss reopening the investigation of the abduction issue “if conditions are ripe and a relationship of mutual trust is established.”

Asked by Kasai how Japan would respond to this North Korean overture, Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura Nobutaka said, “If the North Korean move is a positive one, Japan is willing to respond to it.”

On the handover of Yodo-go hijackers, Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Onodera Itsunori said, “It does not necessarily have a direct bearing on the abduction issue,” but he admitted that criminals responsible for the abductions are included in those who Japan is requesting North Korea hand over to Japan, and said, “I hope that their confessions will bring to light new facts that will help to settle the abduction issue.”

Kasai stated, “Regardless of whether or not the handover of the hijackers is a step forward in the effort to settle the abduction issue, it will be an important step toward establishing the facts behind the abductions and actualize the normalization of Japan-North Korea relations.”

What was the Yodo-go hijack incident?

On March 31, 1970, armed with Japanese swords and bombs, nine “Red Army Faction” members hijacked JAL aircraft “Yodo-go” after taking off from Haneda Airport in Tokyo. After releasing all passengers at South Korea’s Kimpo Airport, the jetliner flew to North Korea’s Pyongyang where the hijackers disembarked.

The “Red Army Faction” was a terrorist group resorting to violence and repeating destructive activities in order to destroy the Japanese Communist Party. The fugitives still live in North Korea but their leader Tamiya Takamaro is dead.
- Akahata, June 14, 2008