INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - North Korea

Published: Wed 9 Dec 2009 08:03 AM
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UNCLAS TOKYO 002811
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 - NORTH KOREA
1. LEAD STORIES: Most Wednesday morning papers gave
prominent front-page coverage to the GOJ's decision to
suspend the bilateral working group on Futenma
relocation.
2. "Do Not Make Compromise Readily" On Special
Representative for North Korea Policy Bosworth's visit
to the DPRK capital yesterday, the business-oriented
Nikkei editorialized (12/9): "North Korea's return to
the Six-Party Talks would probably help resolve the
nuclear issue. However, simply resuming the
multinational talks is not the goal. The goal is to
denuclearize North Korea. The past mistake of granting
one concession after another to North Korea with the
goal of resuming the Six-Party Talks must not be
repeated.... Nothing is more important for the
international community than enhancing pressure on
North Korea and calling for its unconditional return to
the Six-Party Talks."
3. "Japan Should Strengthen Unity with U.S., South
Korea" The conservative Sankei argued in an editorial
(12/9): "Nothing is more important than [maintaining]
coordination among the U.S., Japan, and South Korea in
order to seek a comprehensive settlement of North
Korean issues, including the abduction of Japanese
nationals.... Holding high-level talks repeatedly
without producing any accomplishments would cause the
situation to revert to the era in which the U.S. and
DPRK took the lead [while disregarding the other Six-
Party partners]. We urge the U.S. to take a stern
approach and coordinate closely with Japan and South
Korea in order to prevent such a scenario."
4. "DPRK Aims at Talks with Higher-Ranked U.S.
Official" The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri wrote
(12/9): "North Korea is well aware that the U.S. has
strongly called for [Bosworth's] meeting with First
Vice Foreign Minister Kung Sok Ung because he is in a
position in which he can directly communicate with DPRK
strongman Kim Jong Il. There is a possibility that
North Korea, by taking advantage [of the U.S.'s
eagerness to hold talks with Kung], may try to call for
the continuation of U.S.-DPRK direct dialogue or to
draw the U.S. into substantive bilateral negotiations
on matters such as bilateral diplomatic normalization."
ROOS
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