VICE MINISTER YACHI CONVEYS NORTH KOREA-RELATED

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005211 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: REUNIFICATION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA TAGS: PREL PARM KN JA SUBJECT: VICE MINISTER YACHI CONVEYS NORTH KOREA-RELATED REQUESTS REF: STATE 149071 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) During a telephone call on September 11, Administrative Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi relayed two North Korea-related requests to the Ambassador. Prime Minister Koizumi will convene a Cabinet meeting on September 19, Yachi said, to announce new sanctions on North Korea. Koizumi would like to announce the measures before he leaves office, tentatively scheduled for September 26. These sanctions would be based on the UN 1695 Resolution. It is important to show a concerted international effort and Japan, consequently, has asked both the United States and Australia to take similar action against North Korea on or about the same day. Australia has been very "forward looking," Yachi shared (Comment. We interpret this to mean that Australia is on board with the idea. End Comment) ¶2. (C) Yachi then repeated a request given at lower levels for additional information regarding 12 North Korean organizations and one named individual designated by E.O. ¶13382. The Japanese Embassy in Washington DC received an unclassified message on September 8 and the same demarche SIPDIS (reftel) was delivered in Tokyo on September 11 to Asian Affairs DG Sasae by the DCM (septel). Yachi expressed appreciation for the material already passed but emphasized that Japan still requires one example of illegal activity for each entity and for the individual in order to satisfy Japan's domestic legal requirements. Yachi promised to keep any information classified. The Ambassador expressed understanding and assured Yachi he would convey the requests to Washington. SCHIEFFER