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PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #4646 2760753
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030753Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8223
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3521
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 5936
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 2449
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4243
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UNCLAS TOKYO 004646
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SIX-PARTY TALKS AND
INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT
LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday dailies led with a move by
the Education Ministry to effectively retract its
earlier instruction that Japanese history textbooks
should remove references to the Imperial Japanese
Army's direct involvement in the mass suicides of local
residents that occurred in the final days of the Battle
of Okinawa in 1945.
1. "No Compromise on Nuclear Disablement" The liberal
Mainichi wrote in an editorial (10/2): "The North
Korean nuclear threat will remain even after the
disablement of three facilities in Yongbyon. As these
plants have already served their purpose, there is a
growing view that their disablement will not
disadvantage North Korea. The nuclear issue cannot be
settled unless the DPRK surrenders all its nuclear
weapons and existing nuclear programs, as it pledged to
do in the September 2005 round of the six-party talks.
Even if the three facilities are disabled within this
year, all nuclear-related facilities must eventually be
disabled. The apparent weakening of the US position on
the definition of 'disablement' is also a source of
concern.... The bottom line is that the members of the
six-party talks must not compromise and allow
disablement to be vaguely defined. The same thing can
be said regarding the issue of declaring its nuclear
weapons and programs. If North Korea insists that it
has no highly enriched uranium program, appropriate
measures must be devised to completely clarify the
allegations. Problems must not be left for the future."
2. "Aid to DPRK Problematic" The conservative Sankei
editorialized (10/2): "In his planned summit with DPRK
leader Kim Jong Il, ROK President Roh hopes to discuss
the establishment of a peace regime between North and
South Korea, as well as an initiative aimed at forming
an 'economic community for joint prosperity.' By taking
advantage of its overwhelming economic supremacy, South
Korea hopes to bring change to North Korea in the mid-
to long-term through economic assistance and
cooperation.... As a former leader in his own country's
democratization movement, Roh always stresses
democracy.... Rather than aid, he should discuss with
Kim Jong Il freedom and democracy for the North Korean
people while keeping in mind that country's cruel
authoritarian reign."
DONOVAN