JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO U.S. THINKING ON DPRK NUCLEAR

S E C R E T TOKYO 003103 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2016 TAGS: PREL KNNP JA DPRK SUBJECT: JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO U.S. THINKING ON DPRK NUCLEAR DISCUSSION LIST AND DECLARATION REF: STATE 93191 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) ¶1. (S) Acting Political Counselor conveyed reftel demarche to MOFA Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Northeast Asia Director Shigeo Yamada on July 5. Yamada was impressed with the non-paper, calling it "comprehensive" and indicating that it "covered all of Japan's concerns." He said the non-paper tracked closely with ideas conveyed by MOFA Non-proliferation, Science, and Nuclear Energy Division Director Tomiko Ichikawa, during her recent consultations in Washington. ¶2. (S) Yamada cited two items as particularly noteworthy: 1) including the "Nuclear Weapons Programs" section in the discussion (not just the declaration) phase, an idea he noted "some in South Korea were reluctant" to embrace; and 2) including both LEU and HEU, an area Yamada said would need to be handled in a "sensitive way," and require careful Six-Party coordination in order to approach North Korea effectively on the issue. Yamada promised to study the non-paper and provide more detailed feedback during the week of July 9. SCHIEFFER