North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talks with the South Korean delegation led by Chung Eui-yong, head of the presidential National Security Office, in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 6, 2018. The Presidential Blue House/Yonhap via REUTERS/File Photo
Reuters: Possibility of North Korea detente stirs diplomatic angst in Japan
TOKYO (Reuters) - An agreement between North and South Korea to hold a summit and signals about possible talks between North Korea and the United States are stirring concern in Japan about its diplomatic nightmare - being left out in the cold.
Signs of easing tension over North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, greeted in Tokyo with skepticism, come as Japan faces a possible trade feud with the United States over steel and rocky ties with South Korea over their bitter history, including Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the peninsula.
“The main concern is that South Korea may have jumped too easily to a proposal by North Korea for a bilateral meeting,” said a former senior Japanese diplomat who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic.
A South Korean delegation returned home on Tuesday from a first-ever meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to announce the agreement on a North-South summit next month, the first since 2007.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The momentum that both the U.S. and Japan have been pushing for on North Korean sanctions has definitely hit a road-block. Right now .... this entire process of talking with North Korea will need to play itself out .... and yes, the Japanese are going to be left out.
2 comments:
Given the investment America has made in South Korea and the untrustworthiness of both of the Koreas, we will obviously have to be involved. As for Japan, I see no real reason for them to be involved.
As for Japan, post WW2 they have essentially become a major world power on the backs and off of the exploitation of America and Americans. America feels extreme guilt over the use of the atomic bombs during WW2. Japan has skillfully exploited to use and abuse America to serve its interests which includes but has not been limited to using American military forces to act as their military arm serving whatever purpose the Japanese want and being riddled with guilt over the actions of WW2 American leaders have been unable or unwilling to protest such exploitation.
As of this writing, I see no reason for Japan to be involved in negotiations between North and South Korea. If somehow part of this process could include a mechanism whereby we can redeploy our forces who are currently in Japan then perhaps Japan being involved would serve some useful purpose. Since the two issues aren't related, I don't see how that would factor in.
HB: "If North Korea can be turned against China..." I was thinking recently, "if two adversaries tear each other apart while you sit comfortably on the sidelines far away from the fighting, this would be great!!" Then I thought if one could somehow engineer this where two of your mortal enemies tear each other apart while you sit comfortably on the sidelines far, far away from the conflict zone, this would be even better!! Now how might we "engineer" this?"
Post a Comment