“It is positive that North Korea has accepted the outcomes of the six-party talks and begun moving. The development from the U.S.-North Korea talks in September is also promising. The inter-Korean summit is taking place following such achievements, and there should be a tangible outcome in reducing the risk of North Korea’s nuclear development. President Roh Moo-hyun must induce North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s answer on the possibility of peace on the Korean Peninsula in the future. In addition to the nuclear issue, I wish there are discussions on economic cooperation, national security and human rights. Japanese people want Roh to persuade Kim about resolving the Japanese abduction issue.”

“Resolving the nuclear crisis meets Japan’s national interests and we welcome it. However, whether North Korea will actually commit itself to the first-step measure or not is dependent upon the North and the United States. There is a limit on Japan’s role. North Korea has provided no information about the abduction issue, and it makes hard for Tokyo to take flexible attitude. Japan must urge the North to act constructively regarding the abduction issue, at the same time, actively participate in the six-party talks.”

”It was not satisfactory, but I believe the direction is constructive. The North stopped the first round of the talks immediately after Japan addressed the abduction issue. This time, the North actually had discussion with Japan, and that is promising. Japan’s ultimate goal is normalizing times with North Korea. To this end, nuclear issues, North Korea’s claim for Japan’s colonial rule, Japan’s demand for resolving human rights and abduction must all be settled. Japan, in the latest meeting, said again that it is ready to implement the Pyongyang Declaration by Japan and North Korea. Once the North decides its mind, it will head to a good direction.

“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had an image of a hawk, but he highly valued the relationships with Japan’s neighbors, more than his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. Abe selected China and South Korea as his first overseas destinations. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited Japan in April, and China’s President Hu Jintao will pay a return visit next year. Abe pays attention to diplomacy with China. Now, it is time to see tangible improvement in South Korea-Japan relations. For North Korea policy, Abe, while serving as the chief cabinet secretary, maintained hard-line stances toward North Korea, particularly in abduction issue, and it is hard for him to change such an attitude right now. Therefore, it is desirable that the North change its attitude more flexibly to resolve the abduction issues.

by Oh, Young-hwan  Global News Editor of the JoongAng SUNDAY