Difference in Policies on the North

Taking opportunity of Eastern Economic Forum, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday. While Abe requested Putin to take stricter measures against North Korea, which had conducted 6^th nuclear test last Sunday, Putin insisted on the importance of dialogue with reluctance of hardliner policy. No leverage worked in terms of the relationship with Russia.

According to the news reports in Japan, both leaders agreed on a notion that the nuclear test of North Korea was a serious threat on entire region. They reconfirmed close cooperation on the issue. “I blame North Korea with the strongest words,” told Abe in the press conference, stressing that he agreed with Putin on a common recognition. “We need to change their policy,” Abe added.

Putin basically accepted Abe’s recognition of current situation that North Korea was a significant threat for peace and security of the region. But, the fundamental difference from the Japanese leader who was hastened by consecutive provocations was gravity on dialogue. “We have nothing to settle the situation in Korean Peninsula other than political or diplomatic measures,” told Putin to Abe, “and we need to continue the dialogue at first.” Putin proposed to build a basis with a roadmap made by Russia and China, which requested United States and South Korea to stop military exercise as well as halting development of nuclear technology and missile by North Korea.

Abe has been keeping moderate relationship with Putin even in international accusation on Russia when it annexed Crimea in Ukraine Crisis. That effort was to approach a deal on Northern Territory issue for his own legacy, leaving the international cause against Russia’s coercive policy toward its neighbor. Without achieving any positive progress on the territory issue, Abe was only successful in maintaining dialogue with Putin.

United States is raising its pressure on North Korea in United Nations. Asahi Shimbun reported that U.S. made a draft of another Security Council resolution against North Korea, which included complete embargo of oil or coercive inspection on the ships related to trade with the North. It is likely that those measures will raise the tension in the region, which may cause negative impact on the nations including Japan.

Abe looks like such a hard policy. In the meeting with President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, in Vladivostok on Thursday, Abe achieved an agreement from Moon on putting maximum pressure on the North. Leaving historical dispute of two nations behind, the leaders focused on demanding China and Russia to agree on the oil sanction. Liberal three and authoritarian three made a clear contrast.