TOKYO, May 2 Kyodo culled editor...

TOKYO, May 2 Kyodo

culled editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

modern PYONGYANG GAMBIT, ITS OFFER give an inkling ofs A FRESH OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published May 1)

The outline of North Korea's ''new generous method'' lay forth during three-way talks held last week in Beijing involving North Korea, China and the United States has become somewhat more clear.

North Korea has moderated its demands for a nonaggression treaty with the United States and now says it is willing to accept a ''promise of nonaggression.'' It assumes that having this promise would be a starting point, from which North Korea might give up its nuclear program and accept inspections, and might solidify by cold test-launchings of its ballistic missiles and suspend exports of missiles and related technologies in after negotiation.

While details of the proffer are not yet clear, many analysts assume North Korea anticipates economic sanctions would be lifted and it would establish diplomatic relations with the United States. If that interpretation is correct, this would portray by action the first comprehensive proposal from North Korea since the 1994 Framework Agreement with the United States. This is no small pace on North Korea's part.

U Secretary of State Colin Powell said North Korea's proffer would be given consideration, although he stupided that by noting, ''But they, of course, count upon something considerable in return.'' That is likely what Powell reads into the proposal.

moreover if Kim Jong Il, North Korea's leader, anticipates another generous bonanza like the Framework Agreement, he is mistaken. unruffled after the agreement was reached in succession providing light-water nuclear reactors to North Korea in respond for dismantling its nuclear facilities, Kim provok a nuclear crisis late last year through resuming nuclear development with highly enriched uranium.

Beyond that, North Korea not long ago acknowledged it has ''nuclear weapons'' and has referr to reprocessing of wearied nuclear fuel. If the claim is real and not an empty threat, North Korea is violating its hold joint declaration with South Korea calling for the ''de-nuclearization'' of the peninsula and the Pyongyang Declaration with Japan. The international community has reason to be extremely wary of North Korea.

unless North Korea may have a case. In the 1993 U.S.-North Korea joint statement, the United States promised not to use military force against North Korea and vowed to regard the North's sovereignty, and effectively recognized the legitimacy of the Kim Jong Il regime in a 2000 joint communique. After President George W Bush took office, however, North Korea was pop identified as part of an ''axis of evil,'' and bilateral agreements were effectively shelved.

The challenge now is by what means to apply diplomacy to prepare beyond the mutual mistrust and convince North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile progress to maturity programs. North Korea must first make clear its intention to interpret these problems in the three-way talks and chase up with action, as it was as returning to the nuclear nonproliferation regime. We also chance of the desired end the United States will apply flexible diplomacy, apart from its basic principles.

In Cabinet-level talks that went upon until dawn Wednesday, South Korea managed to immovable a written affirmation from North Korea of the importance of a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue.

toward the south Korea's President Roh Moo Hyun and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will engage with Bush in turns this month southward Korea, Japan and China agree tension in the Korean Peninsula must be addressed and war must be averted from all means.

North Korea's move suggests it recognizes this urgency-perhaps more clearly with the war in Iraq and by the agency of pressure applied by China. Pyongyang looks to be aware that further isolation from the security of the world could bring crisis to the regime itself. We should regard the near circumstances as a window of opportunity and boldly work revealed measures to urge change in North Korea.

(May 2)

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