Expanded Expectation

One of the most invisible policy to the people in Japan is negotiation with North Korea. Although both government agreed with resuming investigation for missing abductees in the North, there still is a speculation that Pyongyang will not be serious about it. Tokyo meanwhile moves to easing sanctions, according to the agreement. The officials in Japan have not find any functional goal line.

In the press conference on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, dismissed a possibility of his visit to Pyongyang at the moment. “My mission will not be finished until all the families of abductees can embrace their loved ones in their arms,” Abe told. On lifting the sanction, he laid out an idea to distinguish the most effective way for diplomatic achievement.

The government of Japan expects the North to establish an effective organization for investigation of abductees. If the organization is confirmed as workable enough in next official level meeting later this month or early next month, Japan will lift sanctions starting with transportation of people, deregulation of money transfer, and resuming port entry of North Korean ships. However, Abe indicated that the situation is not matured for his visit to get actual achievements.

Surprise was moves of the Supreme Court of Japan. The Court decided to suspend the power of a former court decision, which permitted a real estate firm in Takamatsu city to purchase the building for the headquarters of General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. After the Court dismissed the deal of selling it to an enterprise in Mongol, political impact of its decision has been broadly recognized. It eased its attitude toward the association, this time. It is not clear whether the change was affected by current governmental agreement, and whether the North realized it as a political signal from Tokyo.

Before Japan confirms effectiveness of the investigation organization, there rises expectation in Japan for progress in abduction issue. Research Association of Special Missing People has registered four hundred and seventy missing people, seventy-seven of which are doubted as abducted by North Korea. Some families think this revitalization of negotiation as the last chance.

The movement, however, ignores fundamental structure of negotiation between Japan and North Korea, which has to be settled within international framework requiring the North abolishment of nuclear and missile development program. As long as the negotiation does not see any progress in security issue, expanded expectation will be turned to disappointment.