Having maintained intense sanctions on Pyongyang.... with no diplomatic or economic relations with
the regime...
Japan fears being frozen out of the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Min-ji turns the spotlight on how Tokyo may view the upcoming summits.
Japan -- within range of North Korea's short-to-mid-range missiles -- has been maintaining a hardline
stance towards Pyongyang.
No trade, no personnel exchanges.
And that has put Tokyo out of the picture.
"There have been reports that Japan is being sidelined in the latest diplomatic developments
regarding North Korea.
But Japan is stepping up efforts of its own, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visiting the
U.S… and there is also speculation that a Tokyo-Pyongyang summit may be in the works."
Tokyo has brushed off concerns of so-called "Japan passing" -- saying the idea that the
country is being left out is not true.
Prime Minister Abe has stressed that close communication is taking place between the
key players... and that Tokyo's approach towards North Korea is closely coordinated with other
regional powers.
In the U.S., Abe got assurance from President Donald Trump that any deal regarding the North
abandoning its missiles,... should not just cover ICBMs,... but also short-to-mid range
missiles that can reach Japan.
"We could say pressure on the regime has brought it to talks.
And Japan has been at the forefront there.
But when it comes to the talks themselves, as Japan is not part of them, we do need to
get information from the parties that are involved,... as the issue affects our security
interests.
At this point, President Trump needs to take the lead,... and Japan will likely support
whatever the U.S. decides to do.
Even though the talks are scheduled, we will probably maintain maximum pressure."
In fact, Japan has been calling on both South Korea and the U.S. not to lift sanctions despite
the recent sense of optimism.
Given North Korea's past behavior,... there are voices in Japan warning that there needs
to be a clear definition of what constitutes denuclearization for concrete outcomes to
be achieved.
"There have been many great agreements and treaties in the past.
None of the promises were kept.
If some sort of compromise is reached this time, there needs to be a system that oversees
whether the agreement is being abided by -- for instance we could set time frame, by which
goals have to be achieved."
Further down the road,... experts say Japan will have its card to play.
Because in exchange for denuclearization,... the regime will likely have its own demands
-- and meeting those demands will require concerted efforts.
"Ensuring the security of the North Korean regime... is not something the U.S. can do
alone.
This is where South Korea and Japan come in -- to promise the North economic cooperation.
What Pyongyang will want down the line is the normalization of relations, which will
lead to economic support."
On top of that, Japan still has outstanding issues with North Korea -- such as the abduction
of its citizens -- which has raised the possibility of a bilateral summit in the near future.
But experts say that will depend on whether there are sincere, visible efforts by North
Korea towards denuclearization.
Tokyo also needs to believe that talks with Pyongyang would yield positive outcomes --
especially at a time when the Japanese prime minister is mired in scandal.
"If the prime minister met with Kim Jong-un and nothing comes out regarding the abduction,
I don't know how the Japanese will react to that."
Many Japanese experts on North Korea say this could very well be the last opportunity to
deal with denuclearization.
While on one hand, it's an issue that needs to be settled by the U.S. and North Korea,...
neighboring countries like South Korea and Japan... will also have to well play the role
of advisors to bring about positive and sustainable developments on the way.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
Tokyo.