Soft Response to Missile Launch

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles to Japan Sea in Sunday morning. Although it did not directly affect security situation in the region, the North thought to be sending messages to its neighbor countries. Japan does not seem to be reviewing its unilateral approach to the North, even though the intimidation has disseminated instability to Asia-Pacific region.

South Korean army analyzed that those missiles were Scud C type with 500 kilometers reach, which covers all over the land of South Korea. They were launched from around a coastal city of Wonsan. An official with Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the North told that the launch was one of the ordinary military practices. Japan immediately expressed its protest against the North through diplomatic channel.

The practice was mainly recognized as a protest against South Korea and China. Pyongyang had been frustrated with South’s current striking practice around Northern Limit Line on Yellow Sea. Visit plan of Chinese President, Xi Jinping, next month might also have affected the intimidation. It will be the first example for Chinese leader to visit the South before meeting with the leader in Pyongyang, since China normalized its relationship with the North in 1992. The missile launch had a message to protest development between China and South Korea.

The response of Japan revealed its reluctance to weaken the momentum over diplomacy to North Korea. Japanese officials, including Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, had a meeting for collecting and analyzing information. They ruled out an option to delay official meeting with the North on July 1^st, in which Japan expected breakthrough in reinvestigation over missing Japanese abductees. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told that Japan-North dialogue was extremely important in terms of humanity, dealing with abduction and special missing people.

Japan’s soft attitude may cause its alienation in trilateral alliance with South Korea and United States. “We cannot wipe out our concern that Japan will be caught by North’s trap to disturb cooperation among the South, U.S. and Japan,” told an official of South Korea. Since Japan had been saying that abduction issue would be solved along with nuclear and missile problem, consistent approach of Abe administration to the North must be a grave concern for the South and U.S.

While stressing peace and stability in Asia-Pacific region and necessity to respond to growing pressure from neighboring countries, Abe is laying negative impacts on power structure in Asia, sticking to his personal agenda that raised him to a leadership in Japan politics.