KAGOSHIMA, Japan (Yonhap) - President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday said he hoped Japan would refrain from imposing economic sanctions on North Korea.
The Japanese government is under pressure to retaliate after tests found that human remains returned by North Korea in connection with abductions of Japanese nationals decades ago by Pyongyang’s agentswere not those of the abductees.
``I think Japan should make a decision on economic sanctions on North Korea in a cool and careful manner in order for the issue not to affect the normalization talks between North Korea and Japan and the ongoing six-party nuclear talks, although Japan may be inclined to impose economic sanctions on the North because of the kidnapping issue,’’ Roh told a joint news conference at the end of a two-hour working summit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi here.
Koizumi refused to rule out sanctions.
``We will have to closely watch the North’s response and, based on this, we will make a decision on whether to consider imposing sanctions or not,’’ he said.
The Japanese premier said he ``will pursue both dialogue and pressure in negotiations with North Korea,’’ adding that many Japanese feel angry over North Korea’s return of the false remains.
Three previous rounds of six-party talks failed to produce significant results and the North did not appear at the fourth round scheduled for September citing what it called the ``hostile’’ attitude of the U.S. toward it.
In the second working summit in just five months after a similar one on South Korea’s southern resort island of Cheju in July, Roh and Koizumi agreed that they would make efforts to revive the stalled six-party talks as soon as possible.
The summit was held amid anger among many Japanese who are calling for an immediate imposition of economic sanctions on North Korea over the issue of the remains of abduction victims.
North Korea dismissed Japan’s claims on the authenticity of the ashes as a fabrication, and warned that any economic sanctions would be considered a declaration of war, and said it will take ``physical’’ reactions if sanctions are imposed.
In an unprecedented summit with Koizumi in September 2002, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il admitted the kidnapping of 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s for training of North Korea agents in Japanese language and culture.
North Korea returned eight of those abducted but insisted that the rest were missing or deceased. Japan remains suspicious of these claims.
In the news conference, Roh said he understands the anger of Japanese people over the issue but urged them to take time and examine the possibility of the North having made a mistake without intentionally trying to disregard Japan.
``That’s because I cannot understand what North Korea can get from it (the return of false remains),’’ he said. ``North Korea has nothing to gain from that.’’
Roh said any adverse impact of the kidnapping on the normalization negotiations between North Korea and Japan and the six-party talks does not meet the national interests of Japan.
On the history between Japan and South Korea, Roh said he will not press Japan to do something ``because it is better for the Japanese people to judge themselves.’’
Roh urged Japan to show generosity in dealing with history, saying ``Japan is a strong power and the tolerance of any strong country should be seen as a virtue, while that of a weak nation could be seen as humiliation.
12-17-2004 22:30
