Japan Press Weekly

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2018 March 7 - 13 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Japan should work for success of US-N. Korea summit

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

U.S. President Donald Trump on March 9 JST announced his intent to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, by May at the request of Kim. Trump made this announcement after meeting with the South Korean president’s special envoy visiting the U.S. Trump said that he decided to accept Kim’s request as he was informed by the envoy that Kim supports the moves toward the denuclearization and shows self-restraint in regard to nuclear and missile testing. The U.S. president said that he will seek permanent denuclearization. This is a big move following an agreement between North and South Korea to hold a summit meeting in late April. Nations concerned and the international community need to step up joint efforts to make this situation a turning point for not only solving North Korea’s nuclear and missile issue but also creating a peaceful Korean Peninsula and stability in Northeast Asia.

If the Trump-Kim meeting is realized, it will be the first-ever summit meeting between the U.S. and North Korea. Since the ceasefire agreement of the Korean War 65 years ago, there has been continuous hostility between the U.S. and North Korea. A Washington-Pyongyang summit meeting can promote the move to settle the current North Korea crisis.

In the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks (the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, Russia), North Korea promised to abandon its nuclear programs and the U.S. confirmed that it will not attack or invade the North. The two countries also said that they will respect each other’s sovereignty, work for peaceful co-existence, and take steps to normalize their relationship. In addition, in the statement, agreements were made on joint efforts for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and the promotion of security cooperation in Northeast Asia. The U.S. and North Korea need to go back to the agreements in the Joint Statement and make progress. This is the key to achieving success with the Trump-Kim summit meeting.

The Japanese Communist Party has condemned North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs and stressed that members of the international community, including China and Russia, should unite and seek a peaceful settlement of the North Kore issue through dialogue in collaboration with tighter economic sanctions and that this is the only way forward to achieving the settlement. In August 2017, the JCP proposed that the U.S. and North Korea take a step toward holding direct talks in order to address the crisis. Since then, the JCP has called on the governments of Japan and other relevant countries to support any move to hold direct talks.

The recent moves to hold North-South Korea and U.S.-North Korea summit meetings have come amid international public opinion and diplomatic efforts that seek to avoid a devastating war at any cost, prevent the escalation of military-to-military confrontation, and bring about a peaceful resolution.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo should abandon his negative stance toward dialogue. As a party to the Six-Party Talks Joint Statement, Japan is required to pursue diplomacy that promotes Washington-Pyongyang talks and helps bring about their success.

Past related articles:
> JCP welcomes the agreement to hold a summit meeting between the North and the South [March 8, 2018]
> Shii in statement: PM Abe should urge President Trump to engage in talks with N. Korea [November 3, 2017]