TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SIX-PARTY TALKS AND

UNCLAS TOKYO 004646 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SIX-PARTY TALKS AND INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday dailies led with a move by the Education Ministry to effectively retract its earlier instruction that Japanese history textbooks should remove references to the Imperial Japanese Army's direct involvement in the mass suicides of local residents that occurred in the final days of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. ¶1. "No Compromise on Nuclear Disablement" The liberal Mainichi wrote in an editorial (10/2): "The North Korean nuclear threat will remain even after the disablement of three facilities in Yongbyon. As these plants have already served their purpose, there is a growing view that their disablement will not disadvantage North Korea. The nuclear issue cannot be settled unless the DPRK surrenders all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, as it pledged to do in the September 2005 round of the six-party talks. Even if the three facilities are disabled within this year, all nuclear-related facilities must eventually be disabled. The apparent weakening of the US position on the definition of 'disablement' is also a source of concern.... The bottom line is that the members of the six-party talks must not compromise and allow disablement to be vaguely defined. The same thing can be said regarding the issue of declaring its nuclear weapons and programs. If North Korea insists that it has no highly enriched uranium program, appropriate measures must be devised to completely clarify the allegations. Problems must not be left for the future." ¶2. "Aid to DPRK Problematic" The conservative Sankei editorialized (10/2): "In his planned summit with DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, ROK President Roh hopes to discuss the establishment of a peace regime between North and South Korea, as well as an initiative aimed at forming an 'economic community for joint prosperity.' By taking advantage of its overwhelming economic supremacy, South Korea hopes to bring change to North Korea in the mid- to long-term through economic assistance and cooperation.... As a former leader in his own country's democratization movement, Roh always stresses democracy.... Rather than aid, he should discuss with Kim Jong Il freedom and democracy for the North Korean people while keeping in mind that country's cruel authoritarian reign." DONOVAN