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Japan's Foreign Policy Dilemma vis-à-vis North Korea---the Abduction Issue, the Nuclear Issue, and Diplomatic Normalization
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Japan’s Foreign Policy Dilemma
vis-à-vis North Korea
---The Nuclear Issue, the Abduction Issue,
and Diplomatic Normalization---
Toshiyuki Nishikawa
Introduction
The purpose of this brief paper is to outline Japan’s foreign policy dilemma vis-à-vis North Korea---the nuclear issue, the abduction issue, and diplomatic normalization. These three issues are major areas where Japan and the DPRK often strongly disagree. They may look like separate issues, but they are in fact closely linked.
Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a dramatic visit to Pyongyang on September 17, 2002 and held a summit meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-Il, and signed the “Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration,” Koizumi visited Pyongyang again in May 2004. Since then Japan has made a continuous effort to normalize diplomatic relations with North Korea. Koizumi’s two visits were a remarkable diplomatic breakthrough between Japan and the DPRK. They were extremely important for a number of reasons.
First, after long and repeated denials, Kim Jong Il officially admitted to the abduction of Japanese nationals for the very first time, creating an opening in the hard wall of the abduction issue. After Koizumi’s first visit, five abductees were released and returned to Japan. After his second visit, the family members of these five abductees were allowed to leave North Korea for reunions in Japan. Koizumi’s two visits led to a series of subsequent negotiations on the abduction issue that still continues to this day. These bilateral negotiations have not yet produced any new positive results, but at least North Korea, with great reluctance, agrees to discuss the abduction issue from time to time.
Second, Koizumi’s visits opened a way for possible normalization of
diplomatic relations with the DPRK. At present, Japan has diplomatic relations only with the Republic of Korea, the southern half of the divided country. Japan established diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1965, but has never succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with the North. In the beginning of the 1990’s, there were some negotiations
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| | Authors: Nishikawa, Toshiyuki. |
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Japan’s Foreign Policy Dilemma
vis-à-vis North Korea
---The Nuclear Issue, the Abduction Issue,
and Diplomatic Normalization---
Toshiyuki Nishikawa
Introduction
The purpose of this brief paper is to outline Japan’s foreign policy
dilemma vis-à-vis North Korea---the nuclear issue, the abduction issue,
and diplomatic normalization. These three issues are major areas where
Japan and the DPRK often strongly disagree. They may look like separate
issues, but they are in fact closely linked.
Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a dramatic visit to
Pyongyang on September 17, 2002 and held a summit meeting with
Chairman Kim Jong-Il, and signed the “Japan-DPRK Pyongyang
Declaration,” Koizumi visited Pyongyang again in May 2004. Since then
Japan has made a continuous effort to normalize diplomatic relations
with North Korea. Koizumi’s two visits were a remarkable diplomatic
breakthrough between Japan and the DPRK. They were extremely
important for a number of reasons.
First, after long and repeated denials, Kim Jong Il officially admitted to
the abduction of Japanese nationals for the very first time, creating an
opening in the hard wall of the abduction issue. After Koizumi’s first
visit, five abductees were released and returned to Japan. After his
second visit, the family members of these five abductees were allowed
to leave North Korea for reunions in Japan. Koizumi’s two visits led to a
series of subsequent negotiations on the abduction issue that still
continues to this day. These bilateral negotiations have not yet
produced any new positive results, but at least North Korea, with great
reluctance, agrees to discuss the abduction issue from time to time.
Second, Koizumi’s visits opened a way for possible normalization of
diplomatic relations with the DPRK. At present, Japan has diplomatic
relations only with the Republic of Korea, the southern half of the divided
country. Japan established diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1965,
but has never succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with the
North. In the beginning of the 1990’s, there were some negotiations
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