Supporting Re-designation of Terrorism Sponsor

United States President Donald Trump declared on Monday the re-designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Although the listing enables US posing further sanctions on Kim Jong-un regime, it is likely that North Korea is raising tension with nuclear and missile development. Ignoring possible negative consequence of that sanction, Japanese government welcomed the decision of Trump.

Indicating the assassination of Kim’s elder brother in Malaysia or death of an American student who was detained in North Korea for over a year and returned to US with brain damage, Trump accused North Korea as supporting international terrorism. “This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime,” told Trump in his Cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately welcomed Trump’s decision and expressed firm support for it. “This is unprecedentedly significant and immediate threat,” said Abe in the discussion in House of Representatives on Tuesday. “It is possible that North Korea had been successful in minimizing the warhead to carry their nuclear weapons with missiles.” Abe must be happy with the decision, because Japanese government has been requesting it for years.

Yomiuri Shimbun raised a headline for an editorial, “Prepare for New Provocation.” The paper approved Trump’s decision, including abduction of Japanese citizens in another terrorism by North Korea. Nikkei Shimbun also evaluated the re-designation as appropriate, arguing that the decision was rather too late. “International society has to be get together to put stronger pressure,” insisted the editorial.

Even Mainichi Shimbun regarded Trump’s decision as a basis for containing the threat. “Although there is an argument that development of nuclear and missile may not be an act of supporting terrorism, North’s illegal nuclear development cannot be separated from terrorism, as long as Islamic extremists are approaching nuclear technology,” contemplated Mainichi in its editorial.

Only Asahi Shimbun raised its skepticism with a headline of “No Progress Only with Antagonism.” Attributing the decision to reckless behavior of North Korea, though, Asahi focused on current change of attitude of Kim regime. “Although the pressure against nuclear development has to be strengthened, it is nothing but a method for leading to dialogue,” argued Asahi’s editorial. Knowing that further sanction has its certain limit, Asahi reminded the readers of democratic solution as the only way to solution.