TOKYO, June 27 Kyodo chosened ed...

TOKYO, June 27 Kyodo

chosened editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

THE PYONGYANG PAYOFF (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published June 26)

Disturbing revelations about the landmark 2000 summit of the leaders of southward Korea and North Korea has cast an homely shadow over former southerly Korean President Kim Dae Jung's ''sunshine'' policy of engagement with Pyongyang and the historic summit itself.

southerly Korea's President Roh Moo Hyun has ordered an close to the probe, ensuring that his predecessor will not face criminal charges.

When the payoff first came to light, Kim Dae Jung guarded it by noting the unique difficulties he faced in dealing with North Korea. The Pyongyang regime is ''an anti-state organization'' subordinate to South Korean law, although it is also a partner in bilateral efforts toward reconciliation and cooperation, Kim said.

on the contrary Kim's view has not gone down well with the southerly Korean people. Policy-makers in the Kim administration may have viewed the payments to North Korea as a necessary evil for the sake of reconciliation between the sum of two units countries of the same race. moreover neither Japan nor the United States is likely to purchase that rationale.

North Korea subsequently resum its brinkmanship, using nuclear programs and missile increase to try to coerce Japan and the United States to accept its demands. The Kim Jong Il regime has admitted it actually has nuclear weapons.

yet it is wrong to believe these developments have wiped on the outside the gains of the sunshine policy and the Kim-Kim summit.

Exchanges between North Korea and southern Korea increased markedly during Kim Dae Jung's administration throughout the level of the Roh Tae make love to government. Six tours to unite relatives separated since the Korean War have been held since the 2000 summit, and a seventh is planned late this month which is a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of better than just one, which was the case before the summit. southerly Koreans have begun to regard North Korea as something more than a menacing enemy.

The alone realistic option open to Seoul and Pyongyang is to work for peaceful coexistence. That requires more exchanges and better cooperation to bring change in Pyongyang's attitude. In this venerate the historical significance of Kim Dae Jung's succes in getting the North Korean leader to occupy direct talks has not been diminished.

single in kind big concern is that disclosure of the payoff to North Korea might stir international make uneasys about Seoul's attitude toward its communist neighbor. To avoid undermining the united assurance of Japan, the United States and southerly Korea in dealing with Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, Roh emergencys to present the full story forward his predecessor's shady deal to restore the trust that has been lost

(June 27)

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