Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


2003 Japan Special Weapons News



Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    December

  • China, ROK, Japan to cooperate over six-party talks PLA Daily 20 Dec 2003 -- China, South Korea and Japan agreed to enhance coordination over a new round of nuclear talks aiming to solve the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue here on Monday.
  • JAPAN/ TROOPS / IRAQ VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- Japan has sent a small military advance team to the Middle East to prepare for a larger humanitarian mission to Iraq in January. This will be Japan's largest troop deployment since World War Two. The Japanese public opposes the dispatch, fearing troop casualties and terror attacks.
  • JAPAN/MISSILES VOA 19 Dec 2003 -- The Japanese government has announced plans to deploy a U-S-made missile defense system, and to work with the United States to develop the system further. The decision is in response to growing fears about North Korea's weapons development.
  • JAPAN/TROOPS/IRAQ VOA 19 Dec 2003 -- Japan has ordered its military to prepare to aid in reconstruction efforts in Iraq. As V-O-A's Amy Bickers in Tokyo reports, opinion polls show voters oppose the planned deployment, because they believe Iraq is too dangerous.
  • Japan's Sinister Intention behind Troop Dispatch to Iraq under Fire KCNA 18 Dec 2003 -- Two Japanese diplomats were shot to death by resistance force in Iraq recently. This can be seen as a warning to Japan in its moves to dispatch "Self-Defense Forces" to Iraq, Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed commentary.
  • JAPAN/IRAQ TROOPS VOA 18 Dec 2003 -- Japan moved closer to sending troops to Iraq with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi approving a deployment schedule. The troops are expected to start preparing Friday for a humanitarian mission to Iraq.
  • Japan's Scheme to Introduce MD System under Fire KCNA 17 Dec 2003 -- Japan is heading for the introduction of the missile defense system, raising terrific outcries over fictitious "threat from north Korea" in an effort to hasten its conversion into a military power and overseas aggression under this pretext, says Minju Joson today in a signed commentary.
  • JAPAN/ IRAQ TROOPS VOA 09 Dec 2003 -- The Japanese government has endorsed sending members of its military to Iraq next year to aid the U-S led reconstruction effort. But he government is leaving up in the air exactly when its forces will go.
  • Japan's Moves for Space Espionage under Fire KCNA 08 Dec 2003 -- A Japanese institution for research and development of space flight recently failed in the launching of prototype rocket "H-2A" No. 6 carrying two spy satellites of the government.
  • JAPAN/FUNERAL VOA 06 Dec 2003 -- Japan has honored its two diplomats killed in Iraq one-week ago with a state funeral in Tokyo. Steven Shayman reports from Tokyo that a teary-eyed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi vowed to continue working alongside the international community for the reconstruction of Iraq, despite the deaths of his countrymen.
  • Baker Lauds Japan's Help in Iraq, Anti-terror Efforts Washington File 04 Dec 2003 -- Japan is among the top five countries in the world assisting in the reconstruction of Iraq, U.S. ambassador to Japan Howard Baker noted in a December 4 speech in Tokyo to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan.
  • Japan Not Qualified to Participate in Six-way Talks KCNA 02 Dec 2003 -- Japan is working hard to include the "abduction issue" in the agenda of the six-way talks. Abe, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, and other heavyweights of Japan on various occasions worked hard to galvanize public opinion saying that the "abduction issue should be discussed in the six-way talks" and "it is necessary to comprehensively settle abduction, nuclear and missile issues" in reference to the agenda of the next round of the talks.

    November

  • JAPAN SPY SATELLITE VOA 29 Nov 2003 -- Officials in Japan are investigating what went wrong in the failed launch of two spy satellites on Saturday. The aborted launch is a blow to the prestige of Japan's space program and its intelligence efforts,
  • SOKOR/JAPAN TALKS VOA 26 Nov 2003 -- Japan and South Korea are consulting each other in anticipation that a new round of multilateral negotiations on the North Korean nuclear standoff will take place next month. South Korea says possible security pledges for North Korea would not necessarily protect its communist government.
  • JAPAN/IRAQ VOA 23 Nov 2003 -- Japan's defense chief is saying the country should push ahead and dispatch troops to Iraq - despite the security situation and the risks.
  • JAPAN /KEDO VOA 22 Nov 2003 -- Japanese and South Korean officials have been quoted as expressing hopes that a U-S-led consortium's decision to suspend construction of two nuclear reactors in North Korea will prompt the isolated communist state to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.
  • JAPAN/KOIZUMI VOA 19 Nov 2003 -- Japanese legislators approved a second term in office for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Wednesday, a formality after his ruling coalition won a narrow victory in a general election held November 9th. He must now push ahead with plans to reform the economy and to send troops to Iraq - despite heavy opposition.
  • U-S NORKOR NUCLEAR VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- A top U-S envoy and Japan's defense chief have agreed that "dialogue and pressure" are the best tactics for getting North Korea to give up its suspected nuclear weapons programs. Discussions are moving forward on a multilateral resolution to the crisis.
  • U.S.-Japan Security Arrangements Remain Vital AFPS 15 Nov 2003 -- The security relationship between the United States and Japan is just as vital today as it was during the Cold War and immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Japan's chief defense official said here today.
  • Japan Urged to Redress its Past Crimes KCNA 15 Nov 2003 -- The Japanese government proposed solution to the "issue of abduction" as its basic guidelines of diplomacy towards the DPRK.
  • Japan Urged to Make Formal Apology KCNA 12 Nov 2003 -- The DPRK government proposes Japan to hold the DPRK-Japan inter-governmental talks at the earliest possible date to discuss the issue of compensating the Korean victims of human rights abuses so far investigated and confirmed, proceeding from the viewpoint that it is rather a humanitarian issue than a political issue to apologize and compensate the Korean people for human losses caused to them.
  • Heightened Alert against Japan Urged KCNA 12 Nov 2003 -- The Japanese chief executive cried that the capabilities of the "Self-Defense Forces" should be increased to cope with "terrorism and missile attack".
  • DPRK-Japan Inter-Governmental Talks Proposed KCNA 12 Nov 2003 -- The DPRK government proposed Japan to hold inter-governmental talks as early as possible to discuss the issue of compensation to the Korean victims of human rights abuses who have been investigated and confirmed so far from the viewpoint that it is rather a human rights issue than a political issue for Japan to apologize and compensate for the human losses caused by Japan to the Korean people.
  • JAPAN/ELECTION VOA 09 Nov 2003 -- Early exit polls indicate that Japan's dominant political group, the Liberal Democratic Party, won Sunday's elections, but with a smaller majority in the powerful lower house of parliament than it held previously. That could make it harder for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to move forward with his controversial economic reform plans.
  • JAPAN/ELECTIONS VOA 08 Nov 2003 -- The polls have opened in Japan, in the first general election in more than three years. Surveys indicate Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party will win again.

    October

  • JAPAN NOKOR ASYLUM VOA 28 Oct 2003 -- For years, North Koreans have sought asylum outside their impoverished country. But now the Pyongyang government is saying that a Japanese woman has gone the other way and is seeking asylum in North Korea.
  • JAPAN CAMPAIGNING VOA 28 Oct 2003 -- Campaigning officially began in Japan Tuesday for the first general election in more than three years. It will determine whether Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gets to stay in his job. Candidates across the country are appealing to the voters and polls are showing that almost half of the electorate has not decided for whom to vote.
  • Japan Urged to Swim with Global Trend KCNA 22 Oct 2003 -- It has become a global trend to strive to redress wrongs committed against humankind in the past, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
  • APEC/JAPAN VOA 21 Oct 2003 -- Speaking at the APEC meeting in Bangkok, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi says he is concerned about North Korea, from its kidnapping of Japanese citizens to its nuclear ambitions. The Japanese leader also urged Burma to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
  • JAPAN/CHINA MUSTARD GAS- VOA 20 Oct 2003 -- Japan will pay nearly three million dollars to China after poisonous gas from old Japanese chemical weapons killed one man and injured dozens in August. The poisonous gas was left in barrels in China by the Japanese Imperial Army after World War Two. Japan is working to remove from China all remaining 700-thousand chemical weapons.
  • KCNA Assails Japan's Decision to Dispatch Troops to Iraq KCNA 15 Oct 2003 -- The Japanese government recently decided to dispatch its ground "Self-Defense Force" to southern Iraq within December on the basis of the so-called "law on the special measure to help rehabilitate Iraq".
  • Japan Urged to Drop Its Base Diplomatic Posture KCNA 15 Oct 2003 -- The DPRK government through a statement released by a spokesman for its Foreign Ministry on Oct. 7 branded Japan as a disturber of the settlement of the nuclear issue and decided not to allow it to interfere in nuclear negotiations. It was a right action. Minju Joson today says this in a signed commentary.
  • JAPAN/ABDUCTEES VOA 15 Oct 2003 -- Wednesday marks one year since five Japanese - abducted by North Korean agents - returned to Japan. While they have started new lives, they are frustrated that family members still in North Korea have not been able to join them.
  • Japan's Moves for Overseas Aggression Assailed KCNA 14 Oct 2003 -- The Japanese ruling quarters are getting over-heated in the moves to establish the missile defense system, making much ado about "missile threat" from the DPRK in a bid to realize their ambition for military power and overseas expansion, Rodong Sinmun today says in a signed commentary.
  • JAPAN / POL VOA 10 Oct 2003 -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi dissolved the lower house of parliament Friday in preparation for a general election in November. Propping up the world's second largest economy will be the central topic of the campaigning and the election.
  • Japan Urged to Stop Anti-DPRK and Anti-Chongryon Moves KCNA 10 Oct 2003 -- The Korean people will never tolerate the Japanese reactionaries' moves against the DPRK and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) but will certainly force them to pay dearly for their moves, warns Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
  • Spokesman for DPRK FM Demands Japan Halt Its Anti-Chongryon Campaign KCNA 07 Oct 2003 -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in a statement today urged the Japanese government to face up to the trend of history and the times, halt at once its dastardly acts against the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), apologize for all the damage done to all its institutions and Koreans and take a step to restore them to their original state.

    September

  • Japan's Political Bargaining Dismissed KCNA 29 Sep 2003 -- The Japanese government reiterated its stand on September 19 that it would not resume talks on normalizing relations with the DPRK unless the issue of abduction is settled.
  • Japan Urged to Drop Its Hostile Policy toward DPRK KCNA 27 Sept 2003-- Japan's hostile policy toward the DPRK is a very dangerous policy aimed at a military clash between the DPRK and Japan. If a war is provoked by the U.S. on the Korean peninsula, it will naturally spill over into Japan. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
  • Japan's Anti-DPRK Campaign Blasted KCNA 25 Sep 2003 -- The Japanese chief executive malignantly slandered the DPRK when interviewed by journalists on the eve of the first anniversary of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration. In this regard Rodong Sinmun Wednesday comes out with a signed commentary.
  • JAPAN POLITICS VOA 22 Sept 2003-- In a much-anticipated reshuffle, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has installed several new Cabinet ministers in a bid to bolster his economic reform policies
  • Japan's Anti-DPRK Provocation under Fire KCNA 20 Sep 2003 -- The Japanese authorities delayed the departure of Mangyongbong-92 from Niigata Port though it had been scheduled for September 17.
  • JAPAN/NOKOR ANNIVERSARY VOA 17 Sept 2003-- One year ago, Japan and North Korea held an unprecedented summit, sparking expectations of a shift away from the animosity that has always dominated their relations
  • Japan's Move to Institute War Constitution Denounced KCNA 16 Sep 2003 -- It was recently disclosed that the chief executive of the Japanese government instructed the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan to work out a "plan for the revision of the constitution" until 2005.
  • Japan's Anti-DPRK and Anti-Chongryon Moves under Fire KCNA 08 Sep 2003 -- Right-wing gangsters of Japan committed such a grave provocation as swarming to a port where ship Mangyongbong-92 was expected to enter on Sept. 4 and hurling abuses at the ship after its arrival and defaming the DPRK flag.

    August

  • Japanese Authorities Urged to Ensure Home Visit of Koreans KCNA 29 Aug 2003 -- Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), in a statement Tuesday said the visit of Korean residents in Japan to the homeland should be respected as it is an inviolable humanitarian right that no one can violate.
  • Delegates Begin to Arrive for Six-Way Talks Korea-net 26 Aug 2003 -- Representatives of countries participating in the first round of six-way talks aimed at resolving North Korea's nuclear weapons program started to arrive here Monday (Aug. 25).
  • JAPAN/NORTH KOREA VOA 26 Aug 2003 -- A North Korean cargo-passenger ferry is on its way back home after a tension-filled, two-day call on the Japanese port of Niigata. Japan's Transportation Ministry delayed the departure of the controversial vessel citing violations of international safety regulations, but larger issues are involved.
  • JAPAN / NOKOR FERRY UPDATE VOA 25 Aug 2003 -- A controversial North Korean ferry docked in Japan may not be permitted to depart on schedule Tuesday. Japanese officials say they have found safety problems that must be corrected before the vessel can leave.
  • JAPAN / NOKOR FERRY VOA 25 Aug 2003 -- A controversial North Korean ferry has docked in the northern Japanese port of Niigata. The vessel was greeted both by pro-Pyongyang ethnic Korean residents and Japanese angry over North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens.
  • JAPAN / NOKOR FERRY VOA 24 Aug 2003 -- Tensions are rising across Japan before the scheduled docking of a controversial North Korean ferry (Monday) at the northern Japanese coastal city of Niigata. Japanese police have defused two bombs planted by suspected rightists near a North Korean-linked bank and a building of a pro-Pyongyang residents' group in the western Japanese city of Fukuoka.
  • Japan's Moves for Reinvasion under Fire KCNA 23 Aug 2003 -- Japan's defense chief referring to the issue of the dispatch of the "Self-Defense Forces" overseas including the "cooperation in international peace-keeping operation" in the "2003 white paper for defense of Japan" at a recent Diet meeting, asserted that the SDF should be allowed to conduct activities overseas, free from the framework of "exclusive defense" while tightening the nexus with the U.S.
  • Japan Urged to Sincerely Approach Six-Way Talks KCNA 19 Aug 2003 -- The ultra-right conservative forces of Japan are talking nonsense that the issue of abduction should be discussed at the six-way talks expected to open soon to discuss the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. although it has nothing to do with the issue.
  • JAPAN / G-P-S VOA 15 Aug 2003 -- Around the world, governments, soldiers and civilians have come to rely on the Global Positioning System for all sorts of navigational uses. But the users rely on nearly 30 satellites operated by the U-S Defense Department. As G-P-S becomes a part of everyday life, there is growing concern about this dependence on a U-S government system. Some changes are on the horizon.
  • JAPAN/WAR SHRINE VOA 15 Aug 2003 -- In a move certain to upset Japan's Asian neighbors, some members of the Japanese cabinet visited a controversial religious shrine today (Friday), the 58th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two.
  • U-S-NORTH KOREA VOA 14 Aug 2003 -- Senior U-S, South Korean and Japanese diplomats have completed a two-day set of preparatory talks in Washington for the six-nation meeting on the North Korean nuclear program opening August 27th in Beijing.
  • U-S / NORTH KOREA VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Senior U-S diplomats convened with colleagues from Japan and South Korea Wednesday to map strategy for the six-party talks opening August 27th in Beijing, on the North Korean nuclear weapons program. As the Washington meeting got underway, Secretary of State Colin Powell downplayed a published report the Bush administration was considering economic incentives for Pyongyang to give up its weapons ambitions.
  • KCNA Blasts Japan's Arms Buildup KCNA 13 Aug 2003 -- The Defense Agency of Japan on Aug. 4 reportedly decided to introduce a "helicopter carrier" and is going to include spending for it in the next year's budget.
  • Japan Urged to Behave Itself KCNA 13 Aug 2003 -- The Japanese government recently requested the U.S. to maintain the option to use military force against north Korea.
  • CHINA-JAPAN WEAPONS VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- The Chinese government is demanding that Japan shoulder responsibility after a number of people in northeastern China were sickened by poison gas left by Japanese troops during the Second World War.
  • U-S-NORTH KOREA VOA 12 Aug 2003 -- Senior U-S, South Korean and Japanese diplomats convene in Washington today (Wednesday) for two days of meetings to plan for multi-lateral talks on North Korea's nuclear program later this month in Beijing.
  • Japan Accused of Inciting Confrontation And War KCNA 12 Aug 2003 -- The Japanese reactionaries seek to realize their wild dream of reinvading Korea at any cost with the backing of the U.S. but this is nothing but an anachronistic dream, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
  • CHINA/JAPAN VOA 11 Aug 2003 -- China and Japan have marked the 25th anniversary of their shared friendship treaty, but some individual concerns - including chemical weapons apparently left in China by the Japanese during World War Two - cropped up during a high-level exchange of visits.
  • CHINA/JAPAN/NORTH KOREA VOA 10 Aug 2003 -- An energetic round of diplomatic activity continues in preparation for six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Diplomats from China, Japan and Russia are on the road for planning meetings.
  • JAPAN / NAGASAKI ANNIVERSARY VOA 09 Aug 2003 -- Japan has been marking the anniversaries of the two atom bombs dropped by America to end World War II, but the commemorations this year come as the country is beginning to debate its post-war pacifist policies.
  • CHINA/JAPAN/NORTH KOREA VOA 09 Aug 2003 -- Chinese, Japanese and South Korean officials are shuttling around the region ahead of multi-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program. A senior Chinese official says the talks in Beijing will be held later this month.
  • On Hiroshima Day, Annan urges world to do more for nuclear disarmament UN News Centre 06 Aug 2003 -- Commemorating the 58th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the international community to accelerate nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, especially with the new “major concern” that such weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.
  • JAPAN / HIROSHIMA ANNIVERSARY VOA 06 Aug 2003 -- Japan is marking the 58th anniversary of the U-S atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War Two. At a ceremony in the city, attended by thousands, Hiroshima's mayor accused the United States of what he called "nuclear worship."
  • JAPAN MISSILE DEFENSE VOA 05 Aug 2003 -- Japan's Defense Agency says the country needs a missile defense system to counter possible threats from North Korea.
  • ROK, Japan, US to Coordinate on NK Next Week Korea-net 04 Aug 2003 -- Officials from South Korea, the United States and Japan will meet in Washington next week to coordinate their North Korea policy ahead of multilateral talks on the communist state's nuclear weapons program, government officials said on Sunday (Aug. 3).
  • KCNA Denounces Japanese Reactionaries' Political Terrorism KCNA 04 Aug 2003 -- bullet was fired at the building of the Niigata Prefectural Headquarters of Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) on July 29.
  • Base Terrorism against Chongryon Slammed KCNA 04 Aug 2003 -- Minju Joson Sunday in a signed commentary condemns the Japanese reactionaries for perpetrating hostile acts against the Niigata Prefectural Headquarters of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
  • Japan's Ambition for Overseas Aggression Flayed KCNA 02 Aug 2003 -- The Japanese government recently decided to institute what they call "permanent law" intended to dispatch the "self-defense forces" overseas.

    July

  • NK, US Close to Agreeing on 5-Way Talks Korea-net 23 Jul 2003 -- The dates for trilateral talks between North Korea, the United States and China on the nuclear standoff and five-way talks including South Korea and Japan could be announced simultaneously, a senior Seoul official said on Tuesday (July 22).
  • Japan's "Defense White Paper" under fire KCNA 23 Jul 2003 -- Papers here today carry signed commentaries branding Japan's "Defense White Paper for 2003" as a product of the deep-seated unilateral hostile policy of the Japanese ultra-right conservatives toward the DPRK and their policy of toeing the U.S. line.
  • U.S. anti-north move condemned in S. Korea KCNA 16 Jul 2003 -- The Japanese reactionaries have no justification in adopting a law on supporting Iraq in its rehabilitation, still less any ground to dispatch heavily-armed troops of the "self-defence forces" to Iraq, says Rodong Sinmun today commenting on a "bill on special measures to support Iraq in its rehabilitation" which was passed at the house of representatives of Japan recently.
  • Cooperation Between U.S. and Japan on N. Korea Progressing Washington File 15 Jul 2003 -- The United States and Japan are making progress in their cooperative efforts to control North Korea's nuclear weapons development efforts, says the U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard H. Baker, Jr..
  • KCNA flails bill on Japanese SDF's overseas dispatch to Iraq KCNA 10 Jul 2003 -- The three ruling coalition parties of Japan at the special committee of the House of Representatives on July 3 reportedly railroaded a bill on dispatching the Japanese self-defence forces to Iraq under the pretext of "supporting Iraq in its post-war rehabilitation".
  • JAPAN / NUCLEAR EXPLOSION VOA 04 Jul 2003 -- There has been an explosion at a decommissioned nuclear reactor in Japan - but officials say no radiation has leaked.
  • Explosion Rocks Japanese Nuclear Reactor VOA News 04 Jul 2003 -- There has been an explosion at a decommissioned nuclear reactor in Japan, but officials say no radiation has leaked.
  • JAPAN / IRAQ / TROOPS VOA 04 Jul 2003 -- Japan's more powerful lower house of parliament on Friday approved sending ground troops to help with reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The move would be Japan's highest-profile role ever in international peacekeeping.
  • JAPAN/BURMA VOA 04 Jul 2003 -- Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told a visiting Burmese envoy Friday that Tokyo is dissatisfied with the detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He also confirmed that Japan is withholding new aid to Burma, until she is freed.Tthe decision is a blow to Rangoon, since Japan is a top international aid donor.
  • JAPAN / US / IRAN VOA 03 Jul 2003 -- A two-billion dollar oil deal between Japan and Iran has been put on hold because of U-S opposition. Japanese executives have missed a deadline to sign the agreement with Iran's oil ministry.
  • Iran-Japan Oil Deal on Hold VOA News 03 Jul 2003 -- A $2 billion oil deal between Japan and Iran has been put on hold because of U.S. opposition. Japanese executives have missed a deadline to sign the agreement with Iran's oil ministry.
  • U.S. Opposes Japanese Investment in Iranian Oil Field Washington File 01 Jul 2003 -- Following is the text of a State Department response to a question on Japanese investment in an Iranian oil field. The question was taken at the June 30 regular State Department briefing; an answer was posted later in the day

    June

  • Resolution Calls for Japanese Apology to World War II Comfort Women Washington File 25 Jun 2003 -- A Vietnam era Marine Corps veteran is calling on the Japanese government to issue "a clear and unambiguous apology" for its policy of enslaving young women to serve as "comfort women" for Japanese troops during World War II.
  • JAPAN-CHINA ISLANDS VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Japan's Coast Guard has intercepted a group of Chinese protesters aboard a fishing boat near a disputed group of islands. It was the latest encounter between Japan and China in a territorial dispute that dates back more than a century.
  • Korea, China, Japan to Tackle NK Issue Korea-net 17 Jun 2003 -- Foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and other matters of regional importance at their meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tuesday.
  • JAPAN / MISSILE ARRESTS VOA 13 Jun 2003 -- Japanese police have arrested five executives of a Tokyo-based manufacturer for allegedly exporting to Iran machinery that could have military applications. The same company is suspected of having made similar illegal sales to North Korea
  • KCNA urges world community to beware of Japan's militarization KCNA 16 Jun 2003 -- Japan is moving fast to emerge a military power and launch expansion overseas. War maneuvers under the simulated conditions of an "emergency" are now under way after the passage of bills on "emergency" through the diet.
  • KCNA attacks Japan's hostile action against DPRK ship KCNA 16 Jun 2003 -- Nowadays, the Japanese authorities are persistently pursuing a hostile policy towards the DPRK, in support of the U.S. strategy aimed to stifle the DPRK.
  • U.S., Korea, Japan Call for End to North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Washington File 14 Jun 2003 -- Delegations from the Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United States reaffirmed that "North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons will not be tolerated," in a joint declaration released at the end of a meeting of the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 13.
  • JAPAN/ FORCES / IRAQ VOA 13 Jun 2003 -- Japan's Cabinet has approved draft legislation that would clear the way for Japanese troops to head to Iraq. The move is controversial in Japan, which has a pacifist constitution with restrictions on the military. But if Parliament approves the legislation, Japanese troops would still be prohibited from engaging in combat.
  • Japanese Cabinet Approves Controversial Plan to Send Troops to Iraq VOA 13 Jun 2003 -- Japan's Cabinet has approved draft legislation that would clear the way for Japanese troops to head to Iraq. The move is controversial in Japan, which has a pacifist constitution with restrictions on the military. If Parliament approves the legislation, Japanese troops would still be prohibited from engaging in combat.
  • Three-Way Talks Due on NK Nuclear Row Korea-net 13 Jun 2003 -- Senior officials from Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are to coordinate their North Korea policy in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday and Saturday to decide on the preferred format and timing of follow-up talks to the Beijing three-way talks on North Korea's nuclear program in April.
  • Japanese authorities' action against DPRK passenger boat assailed KCNA 12 Jun 2003 -- A spokesman for the Korean Marine Transport Committee in a statement on June 10 denounced the anti-DPRK action of the Japanese authorities to suspend the call of ship "Mangyongbong-92" at a Japanese port.
  • Five-Way Talks on NK Nukes Due Next Month Korea-net 11 Jun 2003 -- Five-way talks comprising South Korea, North Korea, the United States, Japan and China to discuss the lengthy impasse over North Korea's nuclear weapons program will be held next month at the earliest, according to diplomatic sources on Tuesday (June 10).
  • Japan hit for blocking way of humanitarian visits KCNA 10 Jun 2003 -- the Japanese authorities laid all of a sudden artificial and deliberate obstacles in the way of the call of the ship "Mangyongbong-92" at Japanese port.
  • Joint Statement by President Roh Moo-hyun of the Republic of Korea and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan Following a Summit Meeting (June 07, 2003) Korea-net 10 Jun 2003 -- As state guests of Japan, President Roh Moo-hyun and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea paid a state visit to Japan from June 6-9, 2003. During his stay, President Roh Moo-hyun held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.
  • Japanese authorities' moves to suspend service of ship "Mangyongbong-92" KCNA 09 Jun 2003 -- The Korean Committee for Aiding Overseas Compatriots Saturday issued a statement denouncing the Japanese authorities' undisguised moves to suspend the service of the ship "Mangyongbong-92" to ensure visits of Koreans in Japan to their homeland.
  • Roh, Koizumi Warn NK Against Nuclear Program Korea-net 09 Jun 2003 -- South Korea and Japan warned North Korea Saturday (June 7) not to take action that might aggravate the nuclear row on the Korean Peninsula.
  • JAPAN - SOKOR SUMMIT VOA 07 Jun 2003 -- At a summit between the leaders of Japan and South Korea, a statement emerged Saturday that papers over their differences on how to deal with North Korea's nuclear weapons development. The two are still divided over how much pressure should be placed on North Korea.
  • JAPAN / NOKOR SHIP VOA 06 Jun 2003 -- In what will certainly be the most scrutinized ship arrival in Japan in many years, a North Korean cargo-passenger ship is scheduled to dock Monday at a port in Niigata Prefecture. The vessel has made many trips to the port in past years but is now suspected of smuggling.
  • JAPAN / ROH VISIT VOA 06 Jun 2003 -- South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun has arrived in Japan for his first state visit there. Historical tensions between the two Asian neighbors are likely to take a back seat to formulating a joint approach on how to respond to North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
  • Seoul, Tokyo Weigh NK Nuke Issue Korea-net 04 Jun 2003 -- Officials from South Korea and Japan are now seriously considering how they will deal with the lingering standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons drive during the forthcoming summit between President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on June 7.
  • U.S., Japan to Continue Dialogue, Pressure on North Korea Washington File 03 Jun 2003 -- The United States and Japan have not discussed concrete measures for dealing with North Korea, according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, but they have agreed to continue the approach of dialogue and pressure through multilateral channels.
  • U.S-Japan United Against North Korean Threats AFPS 03 Jun 2003 -- The United States and Japan are united to prevent destabilization in East Asia caused by North Korea's purported efforts to develop nuclear weapons and more powerful ballistic missiles, two senior U.S. officials told reporters here June 3. s
  • 3-Nation Meeting on NK Set for June 12-13 Korea-net 03 Jun 2003 -- Senior officials from South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold a consultation meeting on North Korea in Honolulu, Hawaii, from June 12-13, the Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry in Seoul said on Monday (June 2).
  • G-8 Partnership Makes Progress in Effort to Prevent Spread of WMD Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- The Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial democracies announced that it has made significant progress in its effort -- begun last year -- to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists and state sponsors of terrorism.

    May

  • NOKOR / JAPAN / U-S DEFENSE VOA 03 Jun 2003 -- U-S Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has held talks in Tokyo on a possible Japanese missile defense system to counter threats from North Korea. The meeting comes as the Pentagon's number two official wraps up a trip to brief Asian allies on a planned re-alignment of U-S forces in the region.
  • JAPAN/NORTH KOREA VOA 31 May 2003 -- A Japanese official says the country is accelerating preliminary studies of a missile defense system in response to rising tensions with North Korea. The plan appears to be part of a tougher Japanese stance toward Pyongyang.
  • JAPAN DIPLOMACY VOA 26 May 2003 -- Japan has been the scene of a flurry of peace conferences and mediation meetings in recent weeks - attempting to tackle long conflicts in the Middle East and Asia.
  • BUSH / JAPAN VOA 23 May 2003 -- President Bush says North Korea could face "tougher measures" if it does not agree to give up its nuclear weapons program. Mr. Bush discussed the issue Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
  • Transcript: Bush Says U.S., Japan Fighting Common Threats Together Washington File 23 May 2003 -- The United States and Japan are working together to confront common threats such as terrorism and weapons proliferation, says President Bush.
  • BUSH KOIZUMI VOA 22 May 2003 -- President Bush has welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to his Texas ranch for talks expected to focus on North Korea's nuclear ambitions. The two leaders stand together on the need for a multilateral approach to the problem.
  • Japanese spy satellites being watched KCNA 20 May 2003 -- Spy satellites launched by Japan for espionage on the DPRK are being watched by astronomy amateurs of different countries and becoming an object of public ridicule.

    April

  • US to Push Inclusion of ROK, Japan in Nuke Talks Korea-net 22 Apr 2003 -- The tripartite meeting between North Korea, China and the United States to discuss the resolution of the North Korean nuclear weapons program will be held in Beijing, China, on April 23 as planned, a senior Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry official said on Monday (April 21).
  • JAPAN NUCLEAR POWER VOA 15 Apr 2003-- The utility company providing electricity to the Japanese capital is warning that Tokyo faces an acute power shortage following the shutdown of its last nuclear reactor
  • JAPAN / NOKOR ABDUCTEES VOA 14 Apr 2003 -- North Korea and Japan remain deadlocked over the fate of five Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago for espionage training. The five were allowed to visit Japan for the first time six-months ago, but Tokyo refused to let them return and Pyongyang will not let their families travel to Japan.
  • KCNA refutes Japan's sophism about its spy satellites KCNA 08 Apr 2003 -- Director general of the Japan Defense Agency Ishiba at a press conference held at the end of a ministerial meeting on April 1 let loose the sheer sophism that spy satellites launched by Japan are not contrary to the spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration as they are for a peaceful purpose.
  • ROK, Japan Reaffirm Cooperation on NK Nukes Korea-net 31 Mar 2003 -- Defense Minister Cho Young-kil and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba have reaffirmed the need for the two governments to closely cooperate on resolving the North Korean nuclear row in a peaceful way.

    March

  • JAPAN/NORTH KOREA VOA 30 Mar 2003 -- Top Japanese government officials are discussing whether to increase the country's constitutionally limited military capability. The increasingly public debate is being sparked by fears of North Korean military development.
  • DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman blasts Japan's launch of spy satellite KCNA 29 Mar 2003 -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry answered a question put by KCNA today as regards Japan's launch of a spy satellite. This morning Japan launched a spy satellite by using a large carrier rocket H-2A.
  • KCNA on Japan's planned launch of spy satellite KCNA 27 Mar 2003 -- Japan will reportedly launch a spy satellite at the end of this month by large-size carrier rocket H-2A called a "perfect prototype rocket".
  • JAPAN/SATELLITE LAUNCH VOA 27 Mar 2003 -- Japan has successfully launched its first two reconnaissance satellites, which are primarily to keep an eye on North Korea.
  • JAPAN/SATELLITE LAUNCH VOA 28 Mar 2003 -- North Korea warned Japan Friday that its launch of two reconnaissance satellites earlier in the day could spark an Asian arms race. Japan's first spy satellites are primarily meant to keep watch over North Korea, amid growing concerns over that country's nuclear ambitions.
  • JAPAN/SATELLITE LAUNCH VOA 27 Mar 2003 -- Japan has launched its first two spy satellites from the island of Tanegashima, one-thousand kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The launch comes amid mounting fears of a North Korean ballistic missile test.
  • JAPAN SPY SATELLITES VOA 25 Mar 2003 -- As concerns grow about North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions and fears rise that Pyongyang could test another ballistic missile, Japan plans to launch its first reconnaissance satellites on March 28th.
  • JAPAN/ARMS RACE VOA 19 Mar 2003 -- The North Korean nuclear crisis has alarmed countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. Some Japanese politicians are suggesting Japan develop its own nuclear arsenal in response an idea which most Japanese citizens reject.
  • Japan urged to redeem its past wrongs KCNA 06 Mar 2003 -- The first-round of the international seminar denouncing Japan slated to last a year was held in Washington recently. delegates of different countries to it bitterly denounced Japan for its insincere attitude toward the settlement of its past.
  • More facts about crimes related to Japan's forcible drafting of Koreans disclosed KCNA 06 Mar 2003 -- The DPRK Measure Committee for Demanding Compensation to "Comfort Women" for the Japanese Imperial Army and Victims of Forcible Drafting carried out an investigation into the whereabouts of survivors and their families for several years on the basis of a copy of list of Koreans who had been forcibly drafted to Hyogo Prefecture in the period of the Japanese imperialists' colonial rule over Korea.
  • Sen. Brownback Condemns North Korean Sponsored Kidnappings Washington File 05 Mar 2003 -- In a March 5 press conference, which included the families of Japanese abducted by North Korea, Senator Sam Brownback (Republican of Kansas) harshly criticized the Pyongyang regime.
  • JAPAN / KIDNAP VICTIMS VOA 05 Mar 2003 -- Families of Japanese citizens believed kidnapped by North Korea met with U-S lawmakers Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The visitors appealed for support in determining the fate of family members still in North Korea, and spoke to members of a congressional committee about human rights conditions in the North.
  • NOKOR / U-S VOA 05 Mar 2003 -- Pacific allies - the United States, South Korea and Japan - say they remain committed to diplomacy to end a dispute over North Korea's banned nuclear programs. But Seoul and Tokyo are increasingly worried as the United States beefs up its regional military presence and has begun publicly acknowledging it will consider all options to resolve the matter.
  • JAPAN/NUCLEAR TRIAL VOA 03 Mar 2003 -- A court in Japan has handed out suspended prison terms to six officials of a nuclear processing plant after they were found guilty of negligence in the country's worst nuclear accident. Critics say the sentences are too lenient.
  • JAPAN/NOKOR ABDUCTEES VOA 03 Mar 2003 -- Relatives of Japanese abducted by North Korea are heading to the United States, to ask U-S officials to push Pyongyang for more information on their loved ones. The families fear the international dispute over North Korea's nuclear programs is taking attention away from their cause.

    February

  • JAPAN NOKOR REACTOR VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- Japan is expressing regret over North Korea's reported re-activation of a banned nuclear reactor. Both the Japanese and South Korean governments are trying to find out more precisely what is going on at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
  • JAPAN/POWELL-NOKOR VOA 23 Feb 2003 -- U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell has reaffirmed Washington's willingness to talk with North Korea about its weapons program, but only as part of a larger, multilateral dialogue. Mr. Powell, on a four-day Asian tour, also said a solution must be found for the problem of extreme poverty in the North Korea.
  • Papers on missing of plutonium in Japan KCNA 22 Feb 2003 -- Japan should probe the nuclear-related crime and the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency should drop unfair double standards. Pyongyang-based papers today say this in a signed commentary on the missing of plutonium in Japan.
  • POWELL-ASIA VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell interrupts intensive diplomacy on the Iraq later today (Eds: Friday) as he begins a five-day mission to Asia where the focus will be on North Korea and its recent nuclear moves. He'll visit Japan and then China and complete the trip by representing the United States at the inauguration of incoming South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun.
  • NOKOR/JAPANESE WIVES VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- The Japanese wife of a North Korean returned to Japan last month after a harrowing journey through China. Her plight is raising awareness of thousands of other Japanese women who followed their spouses to the North decades ago in search of a better life, only to find that their dreams were an illusion.
  • Text: Powell To Visit Korea, Japan and China February 21-25 Washington File 19 Feb 2003 -- Following is the text of a February 19 State Department press release concerning Secretary of State Colin Powell's planned trip to Asia, February 21-25
  • POWELL / ASIA VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell flies to Asia later this week for a three-nation trip ending with a stop in Seoul for the February 25th inauguration of incoming South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun. His talks in Japan, China and South Korea will be dominated by the North Korean nuclear issue.
  • CHINA/JAPAN ASLYLUM SEEKERS VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- Japan's government has not decided the fate of four North Korean refugees who walked into a Japanese school Tuesday in Beijing asking for asylum in Japan. Tokyo is apparently concerned that granting asylum might spark a flood of North Korean refugees.

    January

  • JAPAN / KOIZUMI POLICY VOA 31 Jan 2003 -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has called for an all-out push on revamping the nation's economy during his annual policy speech to parliament. As V-O-A's Amy Bickers reports from Tokyo, he also pledged Japan will work closely with the United States and South Korea to resolve the nuclear stand-off with North Korea.
  • New Measurement Techniques Correct PU Inventory In Japanese Reprocessing Plant IAEA 29 January 2003 -- At its briefing to the Japan Atomic Energy Commission on 28 January 2003, the Japan Safeguards Office (JSGO) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) announced that, due to the introduction of more precise sampling and analytical measurement techniques for measuring plutonium in the high active liquid waste (HALW) storage tanks at the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP), the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) is correcting the amount of plutonium declared in past accountancy reports to the IAEA. The corrected amounts are expected to be in line with IAEA's own independent verification data and based on measurement methodologies endorsed by the IAEA.
  • Nuclear material in Japan incorrectly measured in past, IAEA confirms UN News Centre 29 Jan 2003 -- Following Japan's recent announcement that it is correcting the amount of plutonium previously declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations watchdog has acknowledged that the amount of nuclear material transferred to waste storage in that country had not been adequately measured in the past