日朝予備協議 金正恩体制に「拉致」打開促せ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 2, 2012)
Govt should press N. Korea's new leader on abductions
日朝予備協議　金正恩体制に「拉致」打開促せ（9月1日付・読売社説）

Can preliminary talks between Japan and North Korea become a step toward resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea? The government should patiently deepen a dialogue with the country to break the stalemate on the issue.
　日本人拉致問題を解決するための一歩になるだろうか。政府は膠着(こうちゃく)状態の打開へ、粘り強く対話を重ねるべきだ。

During division chief-level preliminary consultations in Beijing on Friday, the two countries agreed to discuss a "broad range of issues that interest both sides," and bureau chief-level talks are scheduled to be held in the Chinese capital later this month.
　北京で開かれていた日本と北朝鮮の課長級による予備協議は、「双方が関心を持つ事項」について幅広く協議することで一致した。今月中にも、北京で局長級の本協議が行われる。

Although the countries did not explicitly agree on it, it stands to reason that the abduction issue, which Japan has called on North Korea to discuss, will be put on the agenda in the higher-level talks.
　明示されてはいないが、日本が要求した拉致問題が議題になることは、当然である。

Such abductions are criminal acts by a state and violate human rights and national sovereignty. North Korea's claim that the abduction issue has already been resolved is totally unacceptable. The government should do everything in its power to enable all the abductees to return home.
　拉致は、人権と国家主権を侵害する国家的な犯罪だ。「拉致問題は解決済み」といった北朝鮮の従来の主張は、到底受け入れられない。政府は、拉致被害者全員の早期帰国に全力を挙げるべきだ。

In August 2008, North Korea agreed during working-level bilateral talks in Shenyang, China, to launch a committee to reinvestigate the abductions "soon." But Pyongyang unilaterally put off the reinvestigation, and the bilateral talks on the matter were suspended.
　拉致問題については、２００８年８月に中国・瀋陽で行った日朝の実務者協議で、北朝鮮が拉致被害者再調査のための委員会を早期に設置することで合意した。ところが、北朝鮮は一方的に再調査を見送り、協議は中断していた。

However, the issue of repatriating the remains of about 21,600 Japanese who died in North Korea in the closing days of or shortly after World War II prompted the two governments to hold talks for the first time in four years. North Korea has showed a positive attitude toward visits to the graves of such people by their Japanese families.
　４年ぶりに政府間協議が実現した直接のきっかけは、終戦前後に北朝鮮で死亡した約２万１６００人分の日本人の遺骨返還問題である。北朝鮮側は、遺族の墓参についても積極的な姿勢を見せた。

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Kim seen asserting own style

Such developments appear to be partly attributable to North Korea's new regime under Kim Jong Un, the first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea. The chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, regarded as a key mentor to the young leader, was removed from all posts. The move fueled speculation that Kim dismissed him to assert his own style of leadership.
　金正恩第１書記の新体制と無縁ではない。後見役と目されていた軍総参謀長が解任され、統治スタイルにも独自性がうかがえる。

We suspect Kim is trying to persuade Japan and other countries to lift economic sanctions against his nation and provide economic assistance to alleviate its food crisis.
　金正恩氏は、食料問題を解決するため、日本をはじめ国際社会から経済制裁の解除や経済支援を引き出したいのではないか。

Meanwhile, the Japanese government has reportedly obtained various kinds of information on the abductees through unofficial channels.
　政府は、北朝鮮側との非公式な接触で拉致被害者に関して様々な生存情報を得ているという。

Jin Matsubara, state minister in charge of the abduction issue, takes North Korea's recent moves positively.
　松原拉致問題相は、北朝鮮側の動きを前向きにとらえている。

Kenji Fujimoto, who was a chef for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, reportedly mentioned Megumi Yokota, one of the abductees, and directly asked Kim Jong Un to allow her and other abductees to return home when he visited Pyongyang in July and August at the invitation of the young leader. Matsubara said raising the abduction issue with the leader is very significant.
　金正日総書記の専属料理人だった藤本健二氏が金正恩氏の招きで７～８月に訪朝した際、横田めぐみさんの名を挙げて解決を正恩氏に直訴したことについても、「極めて重い」と期待感を示した。

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Develop momentum

The challenge now is how to link such developments to the resolution of issues of concern, such as the abductions and the repatriation of remains.
　問題は、こうした変化を、拉致や遺骨返還など懸案の解決にどう結びつけるかである。

At the three-day preliminary meeting this week, Japanese and North Korean government officials reportedly touched upon the fact that Sept. 17 will mark the 10th anniversary of summit talks between then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Kim Jong Il.
　３日間にわたった今回の予備協議の中では、小泉首相と金正日総書記の日朝首脳会談から９月１７日でちょうど１０年を迎えることも話題になったという。

During the meeting, the late North Korean leader admitted his country had abducted Japanese people and apologized for the first time. And we should not forget that North Korea signed the Pyongyang Declaration in which both sides confirmed they would abide by international agreements related to the nuclear issue.
　この首脳会談で、総書記は初めて拉致を認めて謝罪した。北朝鮮は、核問題解決のため国際的合意の順守を確認した平壌宣言に署名したことも忘れてはならない。

The government needs to elicit sincere responses from North Korea. To this end, we urge the government to devise a thorough strategy.
　政府は、北朝鮮から誠意ある対応を引き出す必要がある。綿密な戦略を立ててもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 1, 2012)
（2012年9月1日01時27分 読売新聞）