North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tours a factory in Sinuiju, North Korea, in this undated photo released by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday. REUTERS
Japan Times: No resolution on abduction issue unless sanctions lifted, North Korea tells Japan
North Korea has said it will not comply with Tokyo’s request for a resolution of the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by the North decades ago unless Tokyo lifts unilateral economic sanctions, sources close to bilateral ties said Thursday.
Pyongyang’s demand to Japan was made during behind-the-scenes talks regarding the abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, and is viewed possibly as a condition for resuming investigations into the fate of the victims, the sources said.
But it remains uncertain whether Japan will heed North Korea’s call as it continues to seek comprehensive resolution of the nuclear, missile and abduction issues.
The long-stalled probe into the missing people has seen no tangible progress since 2016, when the North disbanded a special panel to reinvestigate the victims’ whereabouts in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Japan on the North due to its continued nuclear and missile tests.
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WNU Editor: A brutal reminder on who and what North Korea is. Which makes me wonder on where this is all going .... Pompeo to land in North Korea seeking initial list of nuclear sites for declaration (Reuters).
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ReplyDeleteI think it's premature to discuss the lifting of sanctions at this point. While positive steps have been made, I haven't seen anything concrete enough from NK that would justify this.
ReplyDeleteI suspect South Korea and Japan are in agreement here. What are the positions of China and Russia on this? For sanctions to have maximum utility, they need to be on board at least for the most part.
I am concerned that as NK takes baby steps the US will face increasing international pressure to take big steps. After a few baby steps by NK followed by a few big steps by America all,of a sudden we've lost whatever leverage we,have/had and received nothing.
For now it seems sanctions will need to remain in place. It will be difficult to keep them in place. The possibility of betrayal by South Korea, while lessened, is still very real.
If the current efforts fail, there are other options that can be pursued. I'd put the probability of ultimate success at around 85% but it will take time. This is NOT microwave instant pizza.
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