「衛星」発射失敗 強固な北朝鮮包囲網の構築を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 15, 2012)
N. Korean missile launch demands a strong response
「衛星」発射失敗　強固な北朝鮮包囲網の構築を（4月14日付・読売社説）

North Korea's missile launch Friday was supposed to be a thunderous salute to celebrate the completion of the transfer of power to Kim Jong Un, the third generation of the Kim dynasty, and also to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the country's founder. But it resulted only in undermining the regime's authority.
　３代にわたる権力継承完成と金日成主席生誕１００年の祝砲のはずが、政権の威信を失墜させる結果に終わった。

The international community had warned the regime not to go through with it, but Pyongyang went ahead with the test launch of a long-range ballistic missile that it claimed was a rocket carrying a satellite.
　北朝鮮が、国際社会の警告を無視して、「人工衛星」と称する長距離弾道ミサイル発射を強行した。

Shortly after the launch, however, the missile exploded and its fragments fell into the Yellow Sea. The U.S. Defense Department believes it was a modified version of a Taepodong-2 missile, the same type as one fired in April 2009.
　しかし、発射直後に爆発し、破片が黄海に落下した。米国防総省は、２００９年４月と同様の「テポドン２」改良型とみている。

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Violation of UNSC resolutions
　◆追求すべき安保理決議◆

Though the test failed, it was an apparent violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban North Korea from using ballistic missile technology to launch anything. We cannot overlook North Korea's flouting of the UNSC resolutions.
　失敗はしたものの、「弾道ミサイル技術を使ったいかなる発射」も北朝鮮に禁じた国連安全保障理事会決議への明らかな違反だ。決議を愚弄する北朝鮮の行為は、決して看過できない。

The launch threw a U.S.-North Korea agreement reached in February into the dustbin. Pyongyang had made promises, including a temporary suspension of test-firing ballistic missiles, in return for U.S. food aid to the impoverished country.
　食糧支援と引き換えに長距離ミサイル発射の一時停止などを約束した２月の米朝合意は反古(ほご)同然となった。

The international community must keep urging Pyongyang to stop its nuclear development program, including its enrichment of uranium.
国際社会は、ウラン濃縮活動を含む核開発の中止を引き続き追求しなければならない。

In a timely action the day before the launch, foreign ministers of the Group of Eight countries, including Japan and the United States, adopted a chairman's statement at a meeting demanding that North Korea abandon its ambitions for nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
　日米など主要８か国（Ｇ８）外相会議が、核とミサイルの放棄などを北朝鮮に求める議長声明を採択したのは、時宜を得た対応だろう。

We think the U.N. Security Council should adopt a new statement by the chair or pass another resolution against Pyongyang. It should not only condemn North Korea but also strengthen economic sanctions to tighten an international noose around the country.
　安保理も、新たな議長声明や決議を採択すべきだ。北朝鮮を非難するとともに、経済制裁を強化し、国際包囲網を強固にする必要がある。

Meanwhile, Japan must seek resumption of negotiations with the country, aiming at comprehensive settlement of nuclear, missile and abduction issues.
　日本も、核やミサイル、拉致問題の包括的解決を目指し、日朝交渉の再開を探らねばならない。

It is a concern, however, that Kim Jong Un's administration, which has just started, might rush to conduct the country's third nuclear test in an attempt to make up for the failed missile launch.
　懸念されるのは、発足したばかりの金正恩新政権が、発射失敗の挽回を図ろうと、３回目の核実験を急ぐ可能性があることだ。

North Korea test-fired another long-range ballistic missile three years ago. Like this time, the regime claimed it was just a rocket carrying a satellite. After the U.N. Security Council condemned the country in a chairman's statement, Pyongyang reacted sharply and pressed ahead with the second nuclear test.
　３年前、今回同様に「衛星」と称した長距離弾道ミサイル発射が、安保理議長声明で非難されるや、北朝鮮は猛反発し、２回目の核実験に突き進んだ。

To make North Korea refrain from carrying out a nuclear test this time, concerned countries must stand together and display a resolute attitude. If they fail to adopt a united stance, the countries will fall right into Pyongyang's trap.
　核実験を自制させるには、関係国が結束し、毅然(きぜん)とした対応をとることが肝心である。足並みが乱れれば、北朝鮮の思うつぼだ。

A focal point of the issue is how China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, will react.
　焦点となるのは、安保理常任理事国の中国の対応である。

Beijing fears the collapse of the North Korean regime and has been enhancing its assistance to the country for years. This time, it has requested that other countries respond calmly, saying North Korea might act negatively and engage in military provocations if international pressure is strengthened.
　中国は、北朝鮮の崩壊を恐れ、支援を強めてきた。今回も圧力を強めると北朝鮮が反発し、武力挑発の懸念があるとして、関係国に「冷静な対応」を求めている。

However, China's long-standing conciliatory attitude apparently has allowed North Korea to look down on the international community and repeat its reckless deeds.
It has made Pyongyang believe the international community has neither the capability nor the intention to stop Pyongyang even if the regime tries to go ahead with another nuclear test.
　そんな長年の融和的な態度が、核実験を強行しても国際社会には止める能力も意思もない、と北朝鮮がみくびり、暴挙を重ねる結果を招いてきたのではないか。

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Direct menace from Rodong
　◆核ミサイルの断念迫れ◆

North Korea invited foreign experts and journalists to the launch site and what it said was the satellite mission control center in a bid to show its "transparency."
　北朝鮮は今回、外国の専門家や記者団を発射基地や管制センターに案内するなど、「透明性」の演出に努めてきた。

Pyongyang also acknowledged the failure of the missile launch, for the first time ever in the annals of its missile development program.
初めて発射の失敗も認めた。

These steps are seemingly designed to help justify the "satellite" launch as "utilization of space technology for peaceful purposes."
「衛星」発射がミサイルではなく、「平和利用」だと正当化したいのだろう。

However hard the regime may try to put up such a front, there can be no doubt Pyongyang's ultimate goal is enhancement of its ballistic missile technological capability.
　いくら体裁を装っても、最終的に狙っているのは弾道ミサイル技術の向上だ。

Pouring a colossal amount of cash into "satellite" development even at the expense of many of its people who are on the verge of starvation is undoubtedly for the purpose of swiftly developing missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
飢餓に瀕(ひん)した多くの国民を犠牲にしてまで巨額資金を「衛星」に投じるのは、核兵器を運ぶミサイルの開発を急いでいるためにほかならない。

If it continues to conduct nuclear tests and missile launches, North Korea will sooner or later reach the stage of deploying missiles carrying nuclear warheads--a situation that would be extremely alarming for this country.
　核実験やミサイル発射を繰り返せば、北朝鮮はいずれ、核ミサイル配備の段階に行き着こう。日本が最も警戒すべき事態である。

Direct threats to Japan for now are medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles with a range of about 1,300 kilometers that have already been deployed on a war footing.
　日本にとって直接の脅威は、既に実戦配備されている射程約１３００キロの中距離弾道ミサイル・ノドンだ。

It is vitally important to ensure deterrence against North Korea by further beefing up the alliance between Japan and the United States.
日米同盟を強化し、対北朝鮮抑止力を維持することが欠かせない。

In dealing with the North's latest missile launch, the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military in Japan worked together by dividing roles between their personnel and sharing missile information through a bilateral joint operations coordination center at the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Fussa, western Tokyo. The collaboration is highly significant.
　自衛隊と米軍は今回、横田基地の日米統合運用調整所を通じて、ミサイル情報を共有し、部隊運用で役割を分担した。その意義は大きい。

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Japan-U.S. collaboration vital
　◆日米共同対処が重要だ◆

From late March, the SDF had Aegis destroyers deployed in the East China Sea and surface-to-air missile units in Okinawa Prefecture and elsewhere.
　自衛隊は３月末から、東シナ海にイージス艦、沖縄県などには地対空誘導弾部隊を配備した。

The two-layer configuration for missile interception was meant to doubly assure the SDF's ability to respond to a contingency.
二段構えの迎撃態勢は、万一の事態に備えたものだった。

The consultations and preparations between the central government and local entities in Okinawa Prefecture ahead of the North Korean missile launch are experiences that should be used to boost the effectiveness of Japan-U.S. military exercises and joint programs for coping with missile attacks.
　沖縄県の自治体と協議・調整した経験も踏まえて、今後の日米の共同訓練や対処計画の向上につなげることが重要だ。

Regrettably, however, the government's announcement that the missile launch had actually occurred was markedly slow.
　残念なのは、政府のミサイル情報の発表がもたついたことだ。

The Prime Minister's Office could not confirm the missile launch even after South Korea issued an announcement to that effect. The result was that the Japanese government's official announcement came 40 minutes or more after the launch.
　首相官邸は、韓国の発表後も発射を確認できず、日本の正式発表は発射の４０分以上も後だった。

Since Japan is dependent on information from the U.S. satellite early warning system and the government in 2009 issued erroneous information about a North Korean "missile launch," it is understandable that the government may have been cautious in confirming the information.
Even so, the timing of the missile information announcement can only be considered extremely belated.
　日本は、米軍の早期警戒情報に依拠しているうえ、０９年の「発射」誤報を踏まえ、確認作業に慎重を期したことは理解できるが、あまりに遅いと言わざるを得ない。

It is imperative to thoroughly verify the causes of the delay in the relay of information and then find ways to improve the information relaying methods.
　情報伝達の遅れの検証と、それに基づく伝達方法の改善が求められる。

The way the government's initial announcement was made, saying the missile launch "has not been confirmed yet," could have been worded better. For example, the government could have said, "There's information about a missile launch, which is now being confirmed."
第一報の発表も「発射を確認していない」ではなく、「発射情報があり、確認中」とするなど工夫の余地があったはずだ。

Deficiencies have also been brought to light in the government's emergency report systems to the nation's local governments, including the J-Alert communications system linking local governments across the country.
　全国瞬時警報システム（Ｊアラート）などの自治体への速報体制にも不備が判明した。

To bolster the nation's crisis management system, it is urgently necessary for the government to take such steps as increasing the number of local governments equipped with antidisaster wireless systems.
防災無線の整備率を高めるなど、日本全体の危機管理体制の強化が急務だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 14, 2012)
（2012年4月14日01時01分 読売新聞）