TOKYO, Oct 21 Kyodo choiceed edi...

TOKYO, Oct 21 Kyodo

choiceed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

N KOREA MUST FIRST ABANDON N-PROGRAM (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

Will the move to give North Korea assurances forward security lead to a breakthrough in the standoff through North Korea's nuclear program? We should not be too optimistic. We ne to form a clear, cautious view of to what degree Pyongyang will respond to of the like kind an offer.

In separate summit talks with Japanese, Chinese and southward Korean leaders, U.S. President George W Bush said he is considering giving North Korea assurances in succession security, possibly in writing, within the framework of the six-country talks, in respond for Pyongyang promising to abandon its nuclear program.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Chinese President Hu Jintao and toward the south Korean President Roh Moo Hyun have backed Bush's move

Bush's proposal is the best possible concession Washington could present Pyongyang with an eye to restarting the six-nation talks among Japan, China, Russia, the United States and the sum of two units Koreas, which have been suspended since August.

Pyongyang has been calling forward Washington to desist from its hostile policy toward North Korea and has been insisting a nonaggression treaty be concluded

However, Bush is refusing to bring to an end a treaty that is legally binding. This refusal is a reasonable united given that North Korea has continued to pres ahead with its nuclear weapons program and no multinational framework of peace has been achieved forward the Korean Peninsula.

Should North Korea refuse to agree to the resumption of the six-nation talks and continue with its nuclear disclosure program, tension will escalate further and the international community will be forced to make an important decision.

In light of this, North Korea must make a wise choice.

If the six-way talks begin again the issue of the form and peace of a written security assurance will become an item of high priority. plane if North Korea is given a written promise, the point in dispute of whether it will fulfill its side of the hostage and abandon its nuclear program will remain.

What would be required are conglomerated infallible procedures for verifying North Korea's abandonment of its nuclear program.

smooth if a written assurance is to be made, careful consideration should be given to when it is signed. Security assurances should not be given too readily, like as in return for an insincere declaration by dint of Pyongyang that it will abandon its nuclear program.

It also would be totally unacceptable for any written assurance to contain wording that may undermine the peace and safety of Japan.

We cannot allow a situation to exhibit whereby even if attacked from North Korea, by missiles for example, the Japan-U.S. security arrangements would not function, and the United States, bourn by its security assurances, would not be able to strike back at North Korea in succession Japan's behalf.

There are bear upons that Beijing and Seoul, the two of which show about understanding toward Pyongyang, may call for an assurance that is too concessive.

Japan wants to keep a close watch forward how the countries involved in the six-way talks act in the days ahead to such a degree as not to show any weakness to North Korea.

(Oct 21)

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