|
TOKYO -- A high-ranking figure in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has drawn attention for saying Japan's future relations with North Korea should be determined with the oppressed state's "liberation" in mind, as the political circle remains enraged at Pyongyang's decision to return false remains of Japanese abductees.
Takebe Tsutomu, secretary general of Japan's ruling party and the man perceived to be second-in-command, appeared on Nippon TV on Saturday asserting that, "Our goals are to resolve the kidnapping, nuclear and missile issues. To put it boldly, we must think about how to confront these issues while keeping the prospect of liberating North Korea in mind."
Commenting on the potential likelihood of moves to cut trade with Pyongyang, Takebe said, "We're not talking about a couple of months," suggesting that, in his view at least, sanctions could be slapped on North Korea within that period of time. He said that while Japan could enforce sanctions unilaterally, it would be preferable to "apply pressure in solidarity with China and the United States."
Ahead of this, former trade ministry Takeo Hiranuma said Thursday that in dealing with the North, Japan must not lose sight of the possibility of having to overthrow the Kim Jong-il regime, according to the Japanese press. Such hardline cries among Japanese government officials are rarely issued.
Meanwhile, with opinion polls in Japan registering that over 70 percent of the public would support economic sanctions on the unapologetic North, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday that a letter from Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was conveyed to leader Kim Jong-il revealing that Tokyo was considering vigorous protest plans, including the possibility of invoking sanctions.
The Asahi Shimbun also reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura was considering plans to visit North Korea sometime between late February and late March to engage in direct talks with Kim Jong-il.
(Jung Kwon-hyeon, khjung@chosun.com )
|
