朝鮮半島緊張 「北」の軍事挑発に警戒怠るな

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Vigilance must be increased over North Korean military provocation
朝鮮半島緊張　「北」の軍事挑発に警戒怠るな

Ignoring repeated calls for self-restraint from the international community, North Korea continues taking provocative actions. Pyongyang should quickly recognize that such actions will only deepen its isolation and aggravate its plight.
　国際社会の再三の自制要求を顧みず、北朝鮮が挑発を重ねている。孤立を深め、自らの困窮を悪化させるだけであることを早く認識すべきだ。

The Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that Kim Jong Un, the first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, called for more satellite launches in the future. This suggests that the country will launch long-range ballistic missiles again.
　朝鮮中央通信は、北朝鮮の金正恩第１書記が「衛星をもっと多く打ち上げねばならない」と述べたと伝えた。長距離弾道ミサイルの再発射を示唆したものだ。

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani pointed out Tuesday, “We cannot rule out the possibility of North Korea’s repeatedly launching missiles on the pretext of launching satellites.”
　中谷防衛相は「北朝鮮が人工衛星の打ち上げを口実としたミサイル発射を繰り返す可能性も否定できない」と指摘した。

It is important for Japan to cooperate with other countries concerned, including the United States and South Korea, and increase its vigilance.
日本は、米韓など関係国と連携して、警戒を強めることが大切である。

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said in a parliamentary address, “If time passes like this with no change, Kim Jong Un’s regime, on a reckless run without brakes, will deploy nuclear missiles.” It was reasonable for Park to have warned the nation of the danger of an increasing North Korean threat in light of advances in the North’s military technologies.
　朴槿恵韓国大統領が国会で「このままでは、ブレーキなしに暴走する金正恩政権が核ミサイルを実戦配備する」と演説した。軍事技術向上により北朝鮮の脅威が高まる危険性を訴えたのは当然だ。

In imposing sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test last month and the latest launch of a long-range ballistic missile, South Korea suspended all operations at Kaesong industrial park, a jointly run cooperation project in North Korea.
　韓国は、北朝鮮の核実験と長距離弾道ミサイル発射への独自制裁として、南北協力事業「開城工業団地」の操業を全面中断した。

Problematic is that North Korea has unilaterally declared the Kaesong complex a military control zone and shut down cross-border telecommunications hot lines for both military forces.
　問題なのは、北朝鮮が一方的に開城工業団地を「軍事統制区域」にすると宣言し、南北の軍同士の通信を閉鎖したことである。

North Korea has taken these steps apparently because it was upset by Seoul’s aiming to cut financial resources of the Kim regime.
　金政権の資金源を標的にしたことに猛反発したとみられる。

Concerted trilateral moves

Since the Kaesong industrial complex started operations in 2004, North Korea has earned a total of $560 million (or about ¥63.4 billion) in foreign currency, including workers’ wages. Seventy percent of the money paid in wages and for other things is said to have gone to the Workers’ Party, which funneled it toward its nuclear and missile development programs or to purchase luxury goods.
　開城工業団地の２００４年の操業開始以来、北朝鮮は労賃など計５億６０００万ドル（約６３４億円）の外貨を得ている。労賃などの７割が朝鮮労働党に上納され、核・ミサイル開発や、ぜいたく品購入などに流用されたという。

There were also news reports saying that the chief of staff of the North Korean Army was recently executed. First Secretary Kim may have become unable to maintain his regime without resorting to a reign of terror by purging one aide after another among senior officials of the military or the ruling party.
　北朝鮮軍の総参謀長が最近、処刑されたとの情報もある。金第１書記は側近の軍・党幹部を次々に粛清する恐怖政治でしか、体制を維持できないのではないか。

It is inevitable for the tensions between the two Koreas to increase. The U.S. forces will deploy a nuclear-powered attack submarine and F-22 stealth fighter planes in and around South Korea. The United States and South Korea should cooperate and deter North Korea from engaging in military provocations.
　南北の緊張が高まるのは避けられまい。米軍は攻撃型原潜やステルス戦闘機Ｆ２２を韓国周辺に展開する。米韓が協調し、北朝鮮の軍事挑発を抑止すべきだ。

In her address, Park emphasized that her country is advancing the buildup of defense capabilities of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
　朴氏は演説で、米韓同盟の「防衛力増強を進めている」と力説した。

Park’s new policy of negotiating with Washington over the deployment of a state-of-the-art U.S. missile defense system in her country, which she had been wary about, is also part of the defense buildup.
これまで慎重だった最新鋭の米ミサイル防衛システムの韓国配備について、米国と協議する方針に転換したのもその一環だ。

In South Korea, senior officials of the ruling party, a leading newspaper and others have begun to publicly refer to the idea of arming the country with nuclear weapons. Park’s parliamentary remarks may also be aimed at cooling off such a move.
　韓国では、与党幹部や有力紙などが公然と核武装論に言及し始めた。朴氏の発言には、これを沈静化する狙いもあるのだろう。

Park has highly rated Japan’s imposition of unilateral sanctions on North Korea, saying it has demonstrated Japan’s strong will not to overlook its behavior.
　朴氏は、日米の対北朝鮮独自制裁の動きについて、「北朝鮮の行動を看過しないという強い意思を示している」と評価した。

It is vitally important to make use of the momentum of concerted moves by Japan, the United States and South Korea toward tough sanctions against North Korea so as to realize the adoption of a resolution by the U.N. Security Council.
　厳格な北朝鮮制裁で日米韓の足並みがそろった機運を生かし、国連安全保障理事会の制裁決議採択につなげることが肝要である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 17, 2016)