Japanese media and government fanning fears of Korean peninsula crisis

Posted on : 2017-04-13 16:54 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Tokyo may be trying to drum up concerns over North Korea as a pretext for expanding its military power
 
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

The Japanese government and media are involved in an aggressive “security peddling” push, fanning fears of potential crisis on the Korean Peninsula with the arrival of the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

In a visit to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) abductee issue headquarters on Apr. 12, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would “request the US‘s cooperation on the rescue of [Japanese] abductees [to North Korea] if several instances arise.”

The message, which signaled Tokyo’s plans to rescue Japanese nationals from North Korea if a military clash occurs on the Korean Peninsula, reflected Abe’s awareness that US forces would be sent into North Korea in such a situation.

The same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government was “carrying out the necessary preparations and considerations for a scenario in which Japanese nationals staying on the Korean Peninsula would need to be protected and evacuated.”

“We are establishing a secure posture to allow for a response to any situation,” Suga said.

The day before, the Japanese Foreign Ministry posted a warning message on its website urging Japanese citizens staying in South Korea to observe the political situation on the peninsula closely. While it acknowledged that “South Korea is not in a situation at the present time that would impact the security of foreigners [Japanese nationals],” it also noted that North Korea was “repeatedly conducting nuclear testing and ballistic missile launches.”

“Those who are staying in or have plans to go to South Korea should observe the latest information closely,” it urged.

Tokyo has also actively supported the tough response line from Washington.

“We wish to praise the US for showing that it is putting various options on the table,” Suga said on Apr. 11. Suga said on Apr. 7 after the US military’s missile strike on an Air Force base in Syria that the “threat of proliferation and use of nuclear and chemical weapons is not Syria’s issue alone, but may also occur in East Asia, including North Korea.”

The stance has also been echoed by the Japanese media. On Apr. 12, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper quoted an anonymous government source saying the Ministry of Defense had requested joint exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force once the Carl Vinson arrives on the Korean Peninsula.

The Nikkei newspaper similarly quoted an anonymous government source as saying Tokyo had requested and received Washington’s agreement to prior discussions in the event of a US attack on North Korea. Suga said he “explicitly den[ied]” the reports.

“There is no truth to what was reported [after preliminary discussions with Tokyo in the event of an attack on North Korea],” he said.

While analysts said the primary aim of this outpouring of measures and statements from Japan actively exploiting fears regarding the Korean Peninsula is to respond to the North Korean threat, the ultimate goal appears to be taking advantage of the opportunity to beef up Japan‘s armaments. In the past, Tokyo has cited the North Korea threat and potential for crisis on the Korean Peninsula as grounds for strengthening the Japan Self-Defense Forces. In late March, the LDP proposed that Tokyo speed up its examination process for establishing enemy base strike capabilities in the event of an attack on North Korea missile bases. A “ballistic missile defense examination team” set up in the party said North Korea’s missile launches had “reached a new stage of threat.”

“[Japan] needs counterstrike capabilities against enemy bases, including cruise missiles,” the team said, calling for examinations to “begin right away.”

Tokyo also plans to sign acquisition and cross-servicing agreements (ACSAs) on support with and sharing of ammunition and other materiel with a broader range of countries. According to an Asahi Shimbun report, the Japanese government plans to vote on amendments of existing agreements with the US and Australia and approval of a new agreements with the UK at an Apr. 13 session of the House of Councillors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense. Japan is also considering signing an ACSA with South Korea.

By Cho Ki-weon Tokyo correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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