TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON'S VISIT TO

UNCLAS TOKYO 001797 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 - FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON'S VISIT TO NORTH KOREA AND 64TH ANNIVERSARY OF ATOMIC BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA ¶1. LEAD STORIES: All Thursday morning papers gave top or front-page play to the arrival of the two freed American journalists at an airport near Los Angeles on Wednesday. ¶2. "Developments Following Journalists' Release" The moderate Yomiuri editorialized (8/6): "Although there might be moves toward launching U.S.-DPRK talks, such moves should be based on the premise that the U.S. will consult closely with Japan and South Korea.... The international community should not relax its vigilance. As long as North Korea is trying to establish itself as a nuclear power, the global community needs to steadily implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions." ¶3. "U.S. Should Maintain Its Principles" The business-oriented Nikkei stated in an editorial (8/6): "Although the release of the detained journalists is a welcome development, the issue should be kept separate from the North Korean nuclear and missile issue. We urge the U.S. government not to be lenient in granting concessions to North Korea on its nuclear development following the former president's visit to Pyongyang.... Secretary of State Clinton has stated that Washington will move toward diplomatic normalization and economic assistance for North Korea if the DPRK completely scraps its nuclear programs. This principle should not be compromised. The U.S. should not disregard Japan and its other allies and make compromises such as holding comprehensive talks with the DPRK just because North Korea released the journalists." ¶4. "U.S., Japan, South Korea Should Develop Shared Strategy" The conservative Sankei editorialized (8/6): "The Obama administration is discussing with Japan and South Korea a plan to comprehensively resolve North Korea's nuclear problem. The plan is based on the idea of 'not giving any rewards to North Korea until it returns to the Six-Party Talks and completely abandons its nuclear programs.' Close coordination among the U.S., Japan, and South Korea is indispensable in order to achieve the goal of making North Korea abandon its nuclear programs and denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, the three nations need to develop a strategy for dealing with North Korea by involving China and Russia." ¶5. "Momentum toward 'World without Nuclear Weapons'" The liberal Mainichi wrote in an editorial (8/6): "In his speech in Prague in April, President Obama referred to the moral responsibility of the U.S. as the only nation to have used a nuclear weapon and declared that he will seek a world without nuclear weapons.... Although the President cited strengthening the NPT regime as one of the pillars of a comprehensive strategy, there is no predicting whether sufficient results will be produced in an arena where nations clash over their interests and ideas.... The international situation surrounding nuclear arms is becoming too complicated for the U.S. and other nuclear powers to deal with on their own. It is also necessary for nonnuclear powers to take part in the efforts to establish a global system of nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation." ¶6. "How to Make the Most of President Obama's Antinuclear Speech" The moderate Yomiuri editorialized (8/6): "Sixty-four years have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year it seems as though a ray of light has been cast on atomic-bomb survivors' hope for the elimination of nuclear weapons. This is the result of President Obama's speech in Prague in April.... We hope that the President will hold onto this sentiment and exercise his leadership in nuclear negotiations with Russia and the U.S.'s ratification of the CTBT." ZUMWALT