Japan has reached agreement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to re-investigate the kidnapping of Japanese nationals and to lift its sanctions "partially" on the DPRK during the consultations from Monday to early Wednesday (August 11 to early 13), which were held in the city of Shenyang in northeast China.
In line with contents agreed upon by the DPRK side, Japanese media have reported, it will carry out a reinvestigation of kidnap victims in an all-round way, and set up a special investigation committee "with an aim of finish it by the coming autumn"; it will "constantly brief Japan on the progress" of the re-probe; and it will render cooperation via "such means" as holding face-to-face talks with those involved, sharing the relevant information with Japan and visiting the kidnap places, to directly affirm the probe outcome.
On the part of Japan, once the reinvestigation starts, it will lift restrictions on people's visits between the two countries and allow charted flights linking the nations when the DPRK's special reinvestigation committee is set up, said Japanese media reports.
Media are paying close attention to how ranking Japanese officials appraise the agreement reached by the two sides. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura on Wednesday told reporters that it was better to reach agreement than not to reach any accord. Although the "action for action" phase has not set in, progress can be said visible as the talks are moving towards that phase. Noting that his government would also conduct an extensive probe beyond the objective affirmed, he said that "the probe would look into anyone whom Japan suspects was kidnapped."
Meanwhile，Kyoko Nakayama, minister in charge of the abduction issues, also told the media the high expectation of the Japanese cabinet. She said to reporters that "there is ample possibility that survivors will be found." In a keynote speech on August 9th, or last Saturday, she maintained that the return of kidnap victims would be the precondition for the removal of sanctions against the DPRK.
The so-called "kidnap issue" refers to the missing of numerous Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s, and the Japanese side claimed they were kidnapped by the DPRK. In 2002, the DPRK admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens during the 1970s and formally expressed its "regret" for it, and sent back abducted victims and their children. However, Japan held this issue remained unsolved. It formally recognized 17 people as victims of the North Korean abduction and five of them have returned, reported media in Japan. And the Japanese side insists on a thorough probe to be conducted with regard to the remaining 12 victims.
After two trips made by former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to DPRK in 2004, North Korea promised to make the re-probe so as to establish convincingly the death of the abductee victims, but without any ensuing progress, according to Japanese media reports. And it is the concern of the Japanese side that there could be some change in the attitude of the DPRK for making compromises once it is removed from the U.S. list of terrorism, even if an agreement is reached. For this reason, Japanese negotiators insist that they will make steady advances if necessary even when they have entered into the phase of "action for action."
Moreover, the cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda currently with a low support rate, is aimed at "the coming autumn" in a hope that the substantial progress relating to the kidnap issue will imbue the cabinet with renewed vis and vigor, or the "second spring".
The progress in Japan-DPRK talks over the kidnap issue has once again amply and fully demonstrated that only dialogue can increase bilateral mutual understanding, dissolve contradictions and make headway or progress. Hence, the dialogue is invariably far better than confrontation.
By People's Daily Online and its author is Yu Qing, a PD resident reporter in Japan
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