Japan Press Weekly

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2019 May 8 - 14 [JCP]

Kasai comments on N. Korea’s ‘projectile’ launches

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Kasai Akira on May 10 at a press conference in the Diet building commented on North Korea’s launch of “projectiles”. Stating, “The continuation of dialogue and negotiations is the only solution to the North Korea issue,” he called on parties concerned to exercise strict self-restraint in the face of any military provocation.

Kasai also said that the need is for the U.S. and North Korean governments to continue holding talks in an earnest manner in order to implement the June 2018 joint statement which the two nations’ leaders agreed to. In this regard, Kasai referred to the Trump-Kim summit meeting in Hanoi in February this year. He said that although the summit meeting fell short of reaching an agreement, the two governments valued the talks as productive and expressed their intention to keep on holding top level meetings. “This is very important,” he added.

Kasai pointed out that in the past year much progress has been made in efforts to denuclearize and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and negotiations. Regarding the current deadlock in U.S.-North Korea relations, Kasai said that the most rational and practical way for the two governments to deal with the situation is to reach a comprehensive agreement which clearly aims at denuclearizing and building peace on the peninsula, and to implement this agreement in stages.

Talking about Japan’s response toward the North Korea issue, Kasai said that based on the 2002 Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration and the principles of Article 9 of the Constitution, the Japanese government should demonstrate its active commitment to efforts to advance the peacebuilding process on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea on May 4 and 9 launched “projectiles”. Following the second “projectile” launch, Japanese Defense Minister Iwaya Takeshi on May 10 at a press conference in the Diet building expressed his view that the “projectile” in question was a short-range ballistic missile, criticizing North Korea for violating past UN Security Council resolutions.

Past related articles:
> Shii expresses his hope for leaders of N. Korea and US to continue their dialogue [March 1, 2019]
> Current status of process for peaceful Korean Peninsula [August 15&16, 2018]