C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 003825

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON UNSC KN JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE POLITICAL REACTIONS TO THE DPRK MISSILE
LAUNCHES

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Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d).


1. (C) Summary. Japan's political leaders reacted angrily
to the July 5 North Korean missile launches. Most are
calling for Japan to respond forcefully against the launches.
Some politicians, including Prime Minister Koizumi, are
being more cautious when describing the way forward. In a
statement on July 5, Koizumi stressed the need to leave room
for dialogue and avoided characterizing the launches as a
violation of the Pyongyang Declaration. The Diet members
contacted by Embassy Tokyo were indignant about the missile
launches. Most supported the government's response to date
and, for the time being, to defer to the government regarding
next steps. MOFA Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Kohno told the
DCM July 6 that many senior LDP Diet members were growing
impatient with the slow pace of the government's response.
After the UN Security Council adopts its action, the LDP will
likely become more involved in the issue, he predicted. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) The reaction among Japan's political elite to the
July 5 North Korean missile launches was uniformly angry.
The immediate reaction from most political leaders quoted in
the press and contacted by the embassy was strong, insisting
that Japan should respond forcefully. Newspapers quoted
senior Diet members like former Foreign Minister Nobutaka
Machimura, who condemned the launch and warned that, "from
now, pressure will prevail." Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe described North Korea's

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actions as "insane" and demanded a stringent response from
Japan. Komeito Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba expressed
anger and said it is only natural for Japan to impose strict
measures. Opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader
Ichiro Ozawa, in China at the time of the launches, called

the DPRK's actions provocative and unacceptable. He asked
China to encourage North Korea to refrain from further such
acts.


3. (SBU) Other senior leaders, including Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi, were more cautious when describing the way
forward. In a July 5 statement, Koizumi stressed the need to
leave room for dialogue and avoided characterizing the
launches as a violation of the Pyongyang Declaration. He
called the series of launches "extremely regrettable," and
did not label the launches a violation of the Pyongyang
Declaration. Instead, he insisted that Japan should continue
to dissuade North Korea from violating the Declaration.
Former Defense Chief Shigeru Ishiba, echoed the need for
caution, saying that tough measures should be taken only
after fully analyzing the situation.


4. (SBU) As of July 6, the ruling coalition LDP and Komeito
have publicly endorsed the Japanese government's immediate
decision to prohibit the entry into Japan of North Korean
vessel Mangyongbong for six months. They also set up a
taskforce, headed by Secretary General Takebe, to deal with
the situation. The taskforce on July 5 confirmed that the
coalition would support economic sanctions by the government
and a referral of the issue to the UNSC. On July 6, the
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Suzuki convened an emergency
meeting of the Cabinet Office's Special Team on Abduction
Issues to discuss the possibility of imposing additional
economic sanctions and strengthening its export controls of
material that could be used in missiles. The DPRK's July 5
missile launches have also resulted in a final split of the
already rocky "reconciliation" between the pro-Seoul and
pro-Pyongyang organizations of Korean residents of Japan
(septel).

Other Political Reactions: Yutaka Kobayashi
--------------


5. (C) Yutaka Kobayashi (LDP), Parliamentary Secretary of
the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, told Embassy
Tokyo Political Officers on July 5 that Japan had been able

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to react promptly to the launches because it had a long time
to prepare. Given the situation, South Korea must also
strongly criticize North Korea's actions, Kobayashi
commented. If the Roh Administration "has any common sense
about diplomacy and international society," it needs to react
harshly against the launch. China and Russia should follow
suit. Kobayashi optimistically predicted that, together with
its allies, Japan would bring North Korea to the UN and the
UN would smoothly adopt a resolution against the missile
launch.


6. (C) If the UN moved too slowly, however, Japan would
likely place its own economic sanctions on North Korea,
Kobayashi suggested. Japan could go beyond prohibiting the
Mangyonbong entry and further restrict trade by using the
foreign exchange law to stop wire transfers to North Korea.
Given the decreased level of trade between Japan and North
Korea, however, China's cooperation would be critical to
making the sanctions effective. The launch, a clear
violation of the Pyongyang Declaration, he asserted, was
meant to threaten the United States and pressure it into
bilateral talks with North Korea, Kobayashi opined. U.S.
"financial sanctions" had been really damaging, he stated.

Lower House Security Affairs Committee Chairman Hamada
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7. (C) Yasukazu Hamada (LDP), Lower House Security Affairs
Committee Chairman, admitted that the launches had come as a
surprise to him. Although Japan's reaction had been "very
quick and good," it now faced the "problem" of imposing
sanctions on North Korea. Japan does not want to destroy the
Six-Party Talks, he noted. Moreover, some politicians are
concerned that a harsh reaction by Japan could provoke an
even worse action by North Korea. Hamada said the Committee
had just met and felt it should respond with restraint.
North Korea's missile launches were not a violation of
international law; the regime had simply failed to adequately
inform the international community in advance of the launch.
Japan has already imposed port restrictions on North Korean
vessels. While Japan could stop wire transfers and further
restrict trade with North Korea, Hamada was unsure whether it
would go that far. He concluded by predicting that the
public would be upset by the multiple launches, but that the
launches would not be enough to shift public opinion to the
political right.

Isamu Ueda, Komeito International Affairs Chairman
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8. (C) Japan's government and people were naturally very
upset by the missile launches, Komeito International Affairs
Committee Chair Isamu Ueda stated. The government must take
react firmly, he insisted, though he had no specific ideas on
what those actions should be. North Korea had ignored
Japan's repeated requests that it not launch. Ueda said he
would entrust Japan's reaction to the government; if the
government decides to impose economic sanctions (including
halting wire transfers to Pyongyang), Ueda predicted he and
Komeito would support that decision.

Tadashi Hirono, Special Committee on Abduction Issue
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9. (C) Tadashi Hirono (DPJ), Chairman of the Upper House
Special Committee on Abduction Issue, predicted that public
opinion would become even harsher toward North Korea. The
abductee family support groups had been lobbying for more
pressure against the DPRK and, as Chair of the Abduction
Committee, Hirono agreed. The missile launch was a clear
violation of the Pyongyang Declaration, he argued, and would
harden public attitudes toward the North.

Growing Impatience?
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10. (C) MOFA Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Masaharu Kohno
told the DCM July 6 that many senior LDP Diet members were
growing impatient with the slow pace of the government
response. After the UN Security Council's finally decides
what action it will take, the LDP will likely become more
involved in the issue, he predicted. Ichita Yamamoto, chair
of the LDP's simulation team on economic sanctions against
North Korea, subsequently told the local media that his team
will accelerate the submission of an emergency measures bill
intended to impose financial sanctions on North Korea.
SCHIEFFER