Lee Urges NK to Resolve Abduction Issue
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak said North Korea should settle the issue of its abductions of Japanese civilians decades ago ― the cause of a long-running diplomatic dispute between Pyongyang and Tokyo ― if it wants to join the international community.
In a joint interview with the Tokyo Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun, Hokkaido Shimbun and Nisi Nippon Shimbun, in Seoul, Monday, Lee said Seoul and Tokyo should make joint efforts to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. To that end, it is crucial for North Korea to address the abduction issue, Lee said.
``North Korea's recent nuclear declaration can be evaluated positively, but it fell short of expectations because its nuclear arsenal was not included,'' Lee said.
``The North has to be persuaded that an abandonment of its nuclear weapons program will be beneficial. North Korea also has to resolve the issue of its abductions of Japanese as well as South Korean people.''
The remarks came as the countries involved in the six-party negotiations on ending the North's nuclear programs are set to gather in Beijing this week to evaluate the declaration of its nuclear developments.
Japan has refused to participate in energy aid programs for Pyongyang, insisting that the issue of its citizens allegedly abducted by the North should be addressed before any assistance is given. South Korea, the United States, Russia and China have sent heavy oil, electrical equipment and construction material to North Korea under an aid-for-disarmament agreement last year.
The resumption of the six-party talks is expected to help the North and Japan make progress in solving the alleged abduction of Japanese citizens, an issue that has hampered the multilateral negotiations.
Pyongyang has admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens ― it returned five and claimed the other eight were dead. However, Japan believes there were more abductions. The communist state has criticized Japan for linking the abduction issue to the six-party talks.
In the interview, Lee also said he will make efforts to draw investments from large Japanese corporations, such as Toyota Motor.
``The Korean government is committed to enhancing relations with Japanese companies. We will make every effort to help spur their investment in South Korea,'' Lee said.
Lee also noted domestic political turmoil triggered by Korean consumers' concerns over U.S. beef imports will not escalate any further, as a growing number of people have come to understand the political nature of the protests.
Lee denied speculation that inter-Korean relations have been stagnant, saying South Korea's industrial activities are still brisk in North Korea's Gaesong Industrial Complex and the number of tourists to Mount Geumgang in the North has been steadily increasing.