hankyoreh

TOKYO - Japan’s new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said that he would drop the hostile policies against North Korea previously held by his predecessor, Shinzo Abe. However, his administration also announced it would extend sanctions against the country, leading some to speculate that Japan’s position on North Korea would eventually play a key role in determining multilateral relations with the North.

In his first policy speech to parliament on Ocotober 1, Fukuda said, “Together with efforts to return the Japanese abductees, I will do my utmost to resolve historical disputes and normalize ties with North Korea.”

He also said he would forge an alliance with other nations for the North’s denuclearization, adding that resolving the North Korean nuclear dispute is indispensable to peace and stability in Asia. Fukuda’s remarks could be interpreted to mean that, unlike Abe’s administration, he will not put the brakes on the six-party talks over the abduction issue. Fukuda promised to maintain strong relations with the United States and make efforts to settle disputes through dialogue and negotiations for the stability and growth of all Asian countries.

However, some Japanese media reported yesterday that the Fukuda administration would extend economic sanctions, which are due to expire on October 13, against North Korea. In response to the reports, some analysts say that Japan may ultimately control the pace of the turnaround in its policies toward North Korea, given its anti-North Korean sentiment.

Masao Okonogi, a professor at Keio University, said, “The extension of economic sanctions against North Korea is seen as a political tug-of-war to hold talks with North Korea to normalize diplomatic ties. In the long-term, the Japanese government’s North Korean policies will be changed,” the professor said.

In spite of such expectations, some government officials in Japan have pointed out that the timing of extending sanctions was not good, as the announcement came in the midst of what otherwise appeared to be progress in the six-party process. On Sunday, a tentative deal was reached at the six-party talks aimed at achieving North Korea’s nuclear disablement.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said he would raise the abduction issue during the inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, set to open today.

“The timing was so bad,” a Japanese delegate at the six-party talks was quoted as saying by the Mainichi newspaper.