N. Korea Could Reconsiders the Missile Shooting Postpone

On November 5, the spokesman for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the North Korea warned that if the talks with Japan goes round and round and gets nowhere owing to a nuclear issue, it could reconsider a potential immunity of missile shooting.

In an interview with North Korea`s Central Broadcasting Corporation, he indicated that the talks haven’t made any rapid progress because Japan made the nuclear and kidnapping issues a subject of discussion. He said “We have opinions which reconsider the missile shooting grace period extension measure if the normalization talks of the diplomatic relations between North Korea and Japan continues to go round and round.”

The ballistic missile shooting postpone is the measure corresponding to a partial cancellation on an economic sanction measure of US in September 1999, taken by North Korea. North Korea clarified its intention which it can extend the period of missile shooting postpone measure to 2003 on the assumption that the diplomatic relations between two countries are normalized when Japan`s Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro visits the North Korea on September 17.

The spokesman added, “For the results of the talks, people and said organizations have strongly brought the opinion which we must carefully consider various matters of security assurance including the nuclear and missile issues from conditions which have a discordance between Japan’s words and actions.”

He also indicated the Japan’s behavior which doesn’t return 5 kidnapped Japanese as ‘action breaking faith. If any party stops the execution of obligations, the other party can hardly execute its obligation continuously.”

Young-Ee Lee Dong-Ki Sung yes202@donga.com esprit@donga.com