TOKYO, April 28 Kyodo chooseed ed...

TOKYO, April 28 Kyodo

chooseed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

N KOREA 'HAS NUKES' (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published April 26)

North Korea has announced that it already possesse several nuclear weapons. North Korean representative Li fire-arm reportedly made the revelation to U Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly in trilateral talks between the United States, North Korea and China in Beijing...

If it continues to arm itself with nuclear weapons, it will dramatically change the state of security in surrounding nations including southern Korea, Japan and China, in addition to the United States...

North Korea has demanded bilateral negotiations with the United States, seeking a guarantee of nonaggression from what it views as its main enemy...

The point in dispute is how to stop North Korea from continuing to unravel its nuclear capabilities beyond simply claiming possession of a scarcely any nukes as a negotiating tactic. The United States emergencys to loosen its stance of refusing to sit down at the negotiating table unles North Korea abandons all nuclear evolution Pushing the country into a corner will have adverse drifts The United States necessitys to exhibit flexibility to establish an environment that would polished the way toward North Korea accepting a compromise.

If North Korea really already possesse nuclear weapons, we cannot impediment it produce more, and any existing undivideds must be destroyed. Needles to say, we have to make certain it will never use weapons of mass destruction. Any attempt at a military solution would devastate southern Korea and also have an enormous impact in succession Japan. It is not an option. The solely realistic course is to maintain the at hand defensive military deterrent and extract a compromise from North Korea by the agency of negotiations.

It is crucial for Japan, the United States and southward Korea to coordinate their policies toward North Korea. There is a fierce battle between hawks and doves in the U government

What should Japan do?

...Japan should make it clear to North Korea that it will be impossible to normalize relations now that North Korea has admitted it possesse nuclear weapons, earnestly less if it continues to proce with reprocessing and enrichment programs.

North Korea's stance will firing discussions at the United Nations about possible sanctions. Nuclear progress to maturity leads to national self-destruction rather than revitalization.

Initially it was a collision to hear North Korea has nuclear weapons. However, we should not suffer that cloud our judgment. Japan possesse the diplomatic carrot of economic aid. Japan should continue to attempt to convince North Korea that the no other than route toward normalization of relations is between the walls of abandoning nuclear programs.

(April 28)

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