U.S. overtures toward N. Korea
drawing a mixed reactionBy Richard Roesler and
Mayumi Yamamoto
Tokyo bureau
TOKYO — America’s recent diplomatic full-court press on North Korea, including last week’s historic visit by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, is drawing mixed reactions from longtime Korea watchers in Japan.
Some were optimistic, while others think Pyongyang’s Stalinist regime is just playing games for more foreign aid.
"I think the United States successfully found a way to solve longstanding issues with North Korea," said Yasuhiko Yoshida, a professor at Saitama University. "I think President Clinton will visit North Korea within this year."
His comments came on the eve of talks between Japan and North Korea at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. The goal: normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Major Japanese newspapers reported last week that Japan is mulling an apology for the brutal 1910-1945 colonization of Korea, but resisting North Korean pressure for cash compensation.
Instead, Japan reportedly is proposing a package of grants and aid, similar to that given to South Korea in the 1960s. Japan agreed last month to send 500,000 tons of rice to North Korea, which is chronically short on food since the Soviet collapse ended food and fertilizer shipments.
Japan resumed formal talks with North Korea in March, after a 71/2-year lull.
"Japan decides its diplomatic stance according to the Japan-U.S. security treaty," said Byon Jin-Il, editor of the Korea Report publication. "Therefore, as long as the United States tries to improve relations with North Korea, Japan will also attempt to improve relations with North Korea.
"Japan has lagged behind the U.S. and South Korea in engaging North Korea," he said. "The reason may be Japan’s lack of a strong national interest. The U.S. and South Korea, by comparison, have national interests at stake, such as (North Korea’s) missile program and nuclear issues."
U.S. officials repeatedly have stressed the importance of the three nations maintaining a unified front in dealing with North Korea. Albright again stressed that unity last week in Seoul, where she met with the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan after her visit to the North.
"Our unity is crucial if we are to make further gains," she told reporters there. Her visit followed the summer visit to Pyongyang by South Korea’s leader, Kim Dae-jung. Kim is pushing his "sunshine policy" hard, in an effort to open up bellicose, isolated and decaying North Korea.
Many observers in the United States, South Korea and Japan, however, remain deeply skeptical about North Korea’s recent diplomatic overtures. A government poll in late September indicated that more than 70 percent of Japanese view North Korea as a security threat. Most Japanese support food aid to North Korea, according to the poll, but oppose other kinds of economic aid.
Also, Japan’s feelings toward its former colony are tinged by Tokyo’s suspicion that North Korea has captured and is holding at least 10 Japanese in North Korea. The emotional issue landed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in hot water again recently, when he mentioned that a Japanese delegation had three years ago suggested to Pyongyang that the issue could be resolved if the missing men and women were to turn up in another country.
Albright reportedly raised the issue several times to North Korean leader Kim Jung Il, but received no concrete response.
"North Korea has never changed and never will change its principles," said Katsumi Sato, chairman of The Modern Korea Institute. "The only change they’ve made is to try to gain financial support by shaking hands with former enemies, after threatening them with missile tests.
"I really don’t understand why the North Koreans sent their No. 2 bureaucrat to the United States to have him meet with President Clinton, who is soon to be a nobody," Sato said.
Byon, who feels Tokyo should mend relations with Pyongyang, expects to see a unified Korea within 20 years. But it won’t be easy, he said, because North Korea wants foreign aid without foreign influence.
Japan, Yoshida said, is one of very few countries that can provide the vast aid and technology that North Korea needs.
"North Korea believes that Japan will follow whatever the United States decides to do," he said. "As a consequence, they’ll never compromise in their effort to normalize diplomatic relations with Japan. On the other hand, Japan is afraid it may be missing the bus, and is struggling to catch up diplomatically with the United States and South Korea."
Jeremy Kirk in Seoul contributed to this report.
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