Left Behind Reconciliation

Situaion in Korean Peninsula is going toward a direction that is not preferable for Japan’s Shinzo Abe administration. Ministers in charge of unification of North and South Korea had a meeting in Peace House on the South side of military border in Panmunjom on Tuesday. Both ministers agreed on sending or accepting delegation of North Korea for Pyeongchang Olympic next month. Although North opposed South’s proposal on denuclearization of the peninsula, it is likely that military tension will be reduced at least during the Olympic is held. Suffering from consecutive intimidation with nuclear and missile tests, Japan has just to wait and see what is going on.

Both ministers agreed on cooperating each other for successful Pyeongchang Olympic and Paralympic. North Korea was willing to sending its delegation consisted of high-level governmental officers, Olympic committee members, athletes, cheering group, art performers, audience, taekwondo players and journalists. Under international sanction on North Korea, it will not be easy to accept high-level officers or offer financial support for transportation. Both governments are going to have an official meeting to discuss the details.

According to the press release, both ministers also agreed on the necessity of easing military tension and having meeting on the level of military officers. On denuclearization of Korean Peninsula, however, North Korea insisted on its traditional standpoint that their counterpart would not be South Korea, but United States. While South Korean Minister of Unification, Cho Myung-gyun, proposed resumption of their dialogue, North Korean Chairman of Committee for Peaceful Unification of Fatherland, Ri Son-gwon, expressed firm frustration, saying “Atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and inter-continental ballistic missiles we possess are completely aimed at United States, not our ethnic fellows.”

North Korea announced that it would resume military communication channel in their western sea area, which had been shut down when South Korea closed Kaesong Industrial Complex in February 2016. South Korea proposed joint parade of the athletes of North and South in the opening ceremony of Olympic or unified cheering team. Both sides are likely to have a meeting of reunion of separated families next month.

Having seen the reports from Panmunjom, Japanese officials keep on careful about North’s wedging in between South Korea and United States or Japan. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reiterated that Japan would be putting maximum pressure to let Kim Jong-un regime change their nuclear and missile policy. But, US President Donald Trump agreed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on refraining from military option during the Olympic. Japan solely sticks to pressure and pressure.