By Nisthar Cassim 

Nearly 80 editors and senior journalists from the world over gathered in South Korea last month to learn and emphasise the dangers of nuclear prowess and the warning of North Korea, which if unaddressed will threaten regional as well as global peace.

Hosted by the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK), the Journalist Forum for World Peace drew participants from 50 countries including Sri Lanka’s Daily FT. 

The week-long initiative, supported by the Korean Government, provincial administrations and private sector organisations, was in a bid to strengthen the role of media towards global security with special focus on denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula.

The Forum was held amidst North Korea’s continuing push with an aggressive nuclear weapons program, threatening peace in Asia and the world. Action by North Korea led by its maverick head Kim Jong-un is despite successive resolutions passed and sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and worldwide condemnation.

Prior to the gathering of global scribes, North Korea had fired its first medium range ballistic missile though it was reported that the mission failed. In January and February this year, North Korea proved its nuclear arsenal by testing and launching a long-range rocket which prompted UN-led sanctions in March.

International journalists participating at the Forum at its opening in Seoul along with South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jongdeok and host the Journalists Association of Korea President Jung Kyu Sung

Korea at present remains the world’s only divided country, a development that sparked 70 years ago. Relations between North and South have deteriorated and multiple global efforts spearheaded by South Korea, US, China, Japan and Russia have either stalled or failed thus far to produce desired results, largely on account of North Korea’s actions. South Korea has warned that North Korea can now at any time conduct a nuclear test.

The Forum in Seoul with senior international journalists discussed the role of media for world peace and stepped up pressure on North Korea to denuclearise. At the conclusion of the Forum, the journalists adopted a ‘Declaration of Peace on the Korean Peninsula’ as well. This was done during a visit to the Demilitarised Zone (DMC).

“Twenty-seven years have passed since the collapse of the Berlin Wall but the wall of national division grows stronger and higher on the Korean Peninsula for over 70 years,” declared Seoul’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jongdeok after inaugurating the Forum.

“The international community must send an effective message to North Korea that there is no way out but a path to denuclearise,” emphasised South Korea’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Lim Sungnam, who expressed the hope that a collective global effort could bring Pyongyang and its young leader Kim Jong-un to the right side of history.

The South Korean Government representatives and other experts who spoke at the inauguration warned that nuclear tensions in the Korean Peninsula would endanger the rest of Asia, the world’s economic powerhouse, and thereby global prosperity. Despite its own challenges, South Korea has advanced itself to become world’s 10th largest economy, thereby making a key contribution to Asia’s prosperity. 

“A nuclear-minded North Korea is a greater threat to not only South Korea but to the rest of Asia and the world,” Seoul’s Vice Foreign Minister warned, adding that North Korea was on a self-destructive path too at present.

The Forum drove home the point that every journalist must be a peacemaker and that when an informed public speaks, the Government listens.

The world journalists during their weeklong tour of South Korea also visited Gyeonggi Province and Suwon City, Gyeongsangbuk Province and Andong City, Daegu City and Busan. They also visited the UN Memorial Cemetery which is first of its kind in the world.

The 52-year old Journalists Association of Korea is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Following are excerpts from the wide-ranging view points on the world peace threatening issue. 

South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sungnam provided the Forum with a quick synopsis of the previous efforts to address the North Korean nuclear problems and where South Korea stands today:

“Some of you might recall the year 1993, when the North Korean nuclear issue came to the forefront with Pyongyang’s announcement of its withdrawal from the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). There have been two paths taken in the international efforts to resolve this issue ever since.

“The first has been ‘negotiation’.

“Since the first North Korean nuclear crisis broke out in the early 1990s, there have been repeated breakthroughs and breakdowns in the negotiation process. The first breakthrough was made when the United States and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework in 1994 that obliged Pyongyang to freeze and eventually dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for two light-water reactors. Its implementation, however, came to a halt in 2002 after North Korea’s acknowledgement of its uranium enrichment program.

“The second breakthrough came in 2005, when the Six Parties agreed on the September 19 Joint Statement in Beijing that provided a step-by-step roadmap leading to the verifiable resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue on a reciprocal basis. But the Six-Party process has been stalled since December 2008 due to the disagreement over the question of how to verify North Korea’s declaration of its nuclear programs.

“Following the second breakdown, North Korea continued to behave in a hostile manner by conducting a long-range missile launch in April 2009, its second nuclear test in May 2009, the attack on our Navy Ship Cheonan in March 2010, and the shelling of Yeonpyeong island in November 2010.

“Despite these provocations, there had still been some hope of a negotiated settlement of the North Korean nuclear issue. It was against this backdrop that Washington, in close coordination with Seoul, reached the so-called ‘Leap Day deal’ with Pyongyang on 29 February 2012, which basically stipulated the initial measures to be taken by North Korea for denuclearisation, such as a moratorium on long-range missile launches, nuclear tests and nuclear activities at Yongbyon as well as the return of IAEA inspectors.

“Although this deal was initially welcomed as ‘a modest first step in the right direction’ towards the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, only 16 days after the announcement of the deal, North Korea made public its plan to launch a long-range missile. Notwithstanding the calls from the international community not to go ahead with the announced missile launch, North Korea indeed fired the missile on 13 April, which seriously betrayed the belief that there was room for bargaining of the North Korean nuclear issue.

“To make a long story short, our efforts to bring North Korea to the right side of history through negotiation have not achieved the desired outcome yet. Figuratively speaking, the international community may have been able to bring a horse called North Korea to water, but it could not make the horse drink. In other words, it is the horse that has to make the decision to drink the water.

“The other way has been ‘pressure’.

“Whenever Pyongyang has resorted to provocations, there have been strenuous efforts to put pressure on North Korea. In response to North Korea’s nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, the UN Security Council adopted a number of resolutions; Resolutions 1695 and 1718 in 2006, Resolution 1874 in 2009, Resolutions 2087 and 2094 in 2013. 

“All these Security Council resolutions adopted in the wake of the three past nuclear tests and the previous missile launches, however, failed to deter Pyongyang from testing a fourth nuclear weapon in January, and launching another long-range missile in February of this year. 

“North Korea is now the only country in the world which has conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century and officially declared itself a nuclear weapon state in its constitution. North Korea developed nuclear weapons program within the NPT regime and then announced its withdrawal from both the NPT and the IAEA. Furthermore, the entire state apparatus of North Korea is directly engaged in hard currency earning activities and is functioning as a giant WMD development machine.

“Given that North Korea never stopped developing its nuclear weapons program under the past Security Council sanctions, it was clear to the international community, including the Security Council, early this year that simply a piecemeal strengthening of previous sanctions would not put a brake on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. 

“That was the rationale behind the unanimous adoption of the new Security Council Resolution 2270 imposing unprecedentedly tough sanctions upon North Korea in March 2016. And that’s also why we made the painful decision to shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex the previous month.

“It is time to make the North Korean regime clearly realise that efforts to sustain itself by exploiting its people and concentrating resources on nuclear and missile development will be futile and self-destructive. 

“We can no longer afford to be pushed around by North Korea’s deceit and intimidation. Furthermore, if unchecked, its nuclear program will pose an even greater threat not only to the survival of the Korean people, but indeed to the stability of Northeast Asia and peace around the globe.

“In a nutshell, the leadership in Pyongyang must be pressed much harder until it changes its fundamental calculation regarding the value of its nuclear arsenal and delivery capabilities.

“Recently, however, Pyongyang openly threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the Republic of Korea and the U.S. Its intimidations went too far to the extent that the North Korean media revealed the propaganda footage of the blowing up of the Blue House and the White House. 

“North Korea further challenged the international community by firing a ballistic missile, reportedly an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM). Although this missile launch was a failure, it constituted a clear violation of Security Council resolutions, including the newly-adopted 2270. Faced with this aborted launch, the Security Council, of course, urged Pyongyang to refrain from further provocations and made it clear that further significant measures will be taken in the event of another nuclear test or missile launch.

“In response to all these threats and provocations, the international community should send a clear message to North Korea that it must stop violating Security Council resolutions and choose the path toward denuclearisation. In this sense, the recent Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington D.C. was a very meaningful occasion where President Park, together with the leaders from the U.S., Japan and China, reaffirmed their commitment to the full and faithful implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions in order to make North Korea realise that even for their own survival, there is no other way out but to return to the path of denuclearisation.

“Being an optimist as well as a realist, I do hope and believe that we can ultimately bring North Korea to the right side of history. My firm belief comes from the fact that the international community, including China and Russia, has never been more united in the determination to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat. Now is the time to create an environment in which North Korea cannot survive without changing its calculation. In short, it is the world versus North Korea. 

“In this vein, each and every journalist in this hall is also strongly encouraged to join the global campaign to remind North Korea as poignantly as possible that its pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles will serve no one’s interests, including its own. 

“All in all, the international community has begun an unprecedentedly full-fledged campaign against North Korean nuclear weapons and missile programs through the adoption of the Security Council resolution 2270. In a sense, the odyssey has just started and the road for bringing North Korea to the right side of history could be bumpy as well. We should remember, however, that the North Korean nuclear issue which has plagued Northeast Asia and beyond for more than 20 years is not a problem created by Mother Nature. After all, it is a man-made issue and therefore I do believe that we can find a solution to this problem.

“In this context, let me conclude by quoting the words of Winston Churchill whom I came to respect more after the recent tour in London: ‘A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.’” 

“First of all the Korean Peninsula must remain nuclear free. No question about this. And second, there must not be any war in the Korean Peninsula. As long as these two objectives are met, it is easy to describe what media should do to maintain the global peace.

“I would like to cite a couple historical examples in which media moved the public opinion for war. As you all know that the American – Spanish war in 1898 was instigated by the two American mogul, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. These two journalists agitated the US public opinion for war. After the US Navy battleship Maine in Havana harbour sank, political pressures amounted to a war. In the end about 15,000 people died from both sides, and the Spanish Empire relinquishing Cuba, Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico to the US, the war ended. Let’s suppose this war was a part of international political regime change. This was an occasion that the US rose to the international arena by defeating the mighty Spanish Empire. Anyway, the two journalists played a significant role in the war.

“I would like to cite another case. In 2013, the international media relentless reports about a possible war in the Korean Peninsula as the tension escalated because of the North Korean military actions such as missile test firings and nuclear tests. When many prominent foreign journalists arrived in Korea, they were busy filing stories that a war was imminent and unavoidable. However, the South Korean society remained calm and most Koreans spent their days as usual. In short, there was no panic, no shortages of food, no chaos. Everything was normal. So, I asked one of my friends from the major international network whether he really believed that there would be a war. He said, ‘Not at all, but my boss from the HQs is ordering me to file stories like that.’

“We journalists know that we must file extraordinary stories to appeal to our editors and readers. Otherwise, our filings will never pass the desk of our editors. But we must not distort the whole picture. Our job is to report what is happening on the field, not distort facts to pass the desk of editors back home. Our job is to report facts, that is non-negotiable.

“Korean journalists have an extra burden when it comes to reporting about our own military conflicts in our home territory. We are still at war with North Korea. The war was ended in 1953. Yet, neither side signed a peace treaty. The peace treaty should be signed by the two Korea’s, but North Korea insists to sign a peace treaty with the US, which is like apples and oranges signing a treaty. We all want North Korea to come to the table and sign a peace treaty with the South.

“When North Korea tests nuclear bombs and fires missiles, most South Korean media condemns such actions, as does the global media. Yet, we take very cautious steps when reporting because the Korean media does not want to push the situation to the brink of war. This is a matter of our own life and death.

“At the same time, we must portray the Korean public opinion that Koreans will not budge to any threats from North Korea, that Koreans are willing to stand up to injustice, that Koreans will unite to defend our territory, etc. So finding a fine line between reporting accurately and representing Korean public’s firm commitment to standing up is not an easy task. But again, this is our fate as media all over the world faces. 

“Another issue the Korean media faces today is the free flow of information about military issues. The Korean media strives to find a balance between the right to know and safeguarding national security. In conclusion, it is not easy to define what is correct and what is not when reporting issues regarding the national security issues. However, the most importantly modus operandi is that we report within the framework of the freedom of press, because freedom of press is the icon of democracy and we live in a democratic society, we journalists must always keep the idea as the utmost value when we perform our job.”

“Today’s world suffers from violent and conflict. Due to institutionalised deterrent and conflict, we live in a dark era, where no place on earth is safe. However, most of the terror and conflict that threaten the 21st century global village resemble regional wars. This tendency shows the critical features of the ‘Post-Cold War Era’ and the ‘Multi-Polar and Diversified Global Era’, which appeared at the end of the Cold War which had divided the world for the last half century.

“However, in addition to ‘institutional terror and conflict’, which has been called the ‘21st Century’s Danger’ the Korean Peninsula is exposed to another tragedy, namely the legacy of the ‘21st Century’s Cold War system’. The Korean Peninsula of an ‘old era tragedy’, where past conflicts from the Cold War still remains. In fact the Korean Peninsula is the only region on earth still suffering from a failure to eliminate the tragedies of the Cold War and still burned by additional new dangers and risks from the 21st Century. This is the global and historical significance of the Korean Peninsula in terms of conflict and peace. 

“Today, the Korean Peninsula, denuclearisation, Post-Cold War Era, and peace are not only the concern of the 70 million citizens of the Korean Peninsula, but have also become an ‘unyielding valley’ of all global citizens who cherish life and peace.

“South Korea has another side to its global-historical significance. In the first half of the 20th century, during the era of imperialism, the county suffered a brutal period of colonial occupation. Then, in the last 20th century, during the Cold War, it experienced a devastating war. Both cases cannot be understood outside the context of the 20th century’s world history. The Korean people and the Korean Peninsula are an ethnic group and a country that lived through the 20th century in a most painful way. 

“After overcoming such tragedy, South Korea succeeded in industrialisation and then democratisation and informatisation with the support of its peace- and justice-loving allies. South Korea has now become a leading country in Official Development Assistance (ODA), when it was once a poor nation that received assistance from the international community. Furthermore, it has also successfully overcome two crises, namely the Asian Financial Crisis and the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Many of the world’s developing countries have taken an interest in South Korea’s developments and are learning how to emulate them. South Korea has become a country that plays an important bridging role in achieving world peace and mutual prosperity, while connecting developed and developing countries. It would not be an exaggeration to say that South Korea is a proud asset to humanity. 

“On the other hand, North Korea is one of the closed and unusual nations on earth and has succeeded power hereditarily for three generations. It is also a country that protects the safety of its regime by relying on violence, terror and brinkmanship, both externally and even toward its own people. It is humanity’s greatest problem in terms of world peace beyond the Korean Peninsula. To peacefully resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula requires effort and attention from around the globe as well as both North and South Korea. 

“It can be said that the most important role in this task is given to the press. The press is virtually the only mechanism that can handle ‘communication’ within Korea, between the two Koreas, and furthermore, at a global level. This is because the press is, in fact, the only channel that enables rationale communication through in-depth analysis of structural contexts beyond fragmented and emotional responses. 

“When the press provides disjointed and superficial information, while disregarding the global, historical context of conflict, the Cold War, and terror and the social scientific analysis of it, a rationale decision to establish peace will be impossible. If the press instigates and leads an emotional response to conflict and dispute, ‘the results will be inevitably fatal’. I think it is necessary to spread a consensus toward structural and global benefits that can be obtained through peace on the Korean Peninsula through ongoing discussion and communication. This an important challenge that only the press can handle.

“UNESCO, which is dedicated to education, science and culture, is one of the many specialised UN agencies. As of 2016, 195 countries are participating as members. UNESCO has established the ‘Professional Journalist Standards and Code of Ethics’ and trains journalists around the world to follow it. This code specifies that journalists ‘should actively defend universal values such as humanism, peace, democracy, human rights, social progress and national freedom and strive to achieve them’. In addition, it also contains information stating that ‘freedom of expression and unrestrained access to information are crucial factors for world peace’ and a ‘better understanding of the international community’. It can be said that this, in turn means journalists should not instigate war, conflict, discrimination, and hatred for the benefit of a certain country or a particular group or for the state of attention-grabbing headlines under the mask of objectivity and impartiality. Journalist are asked to work as ‘peace activists’, rather than just observers at the crossroads of good and evil, anger and self-control, and conflict and reconciliation. 

“The reality of the Korean Peninsula is still precarious. North Korea has continued its nuclear weapons development and test missile launches, while South Korea and the United States have responded with the largest military exercises since the Korean War armistice. The six-party talks have all but vanished, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula continued to increase. The Korean Peninsula still cannot escape from the horrors and instability of war, nor abandon the fetters of the Cold War past. 

“In fact, and even more unfortunate thing is that in my opinion, some of Korea’s domestic press and the international press do not seem to strive actively for peace and deterring war on the Korean Peninsula. Occasionally, I feel as though there are approaches and coverage that may encourage hostile confrontation and war. This may just be due to an individual journalist’s lack of insight. Or, it may be due to the structural limitations of the press that is, at times subordinate to immoral power and capital, which has a stake in conflict rather than peace. Dangerous peace-keeping activities sometimes require journalists to risk their status as journalists or even their lives.

“No matter what reason, inciting conflict, violence, and tension is unacceptable. Likewise, it is ineffective when journalists work of peace individually. They must correspond as a whole when confronting attempts to strengthen violence and conflict. It is necessary to form a ‘joint response and solidarity for peace’. It is necessary for the ‘global solidarity of healthy citizenship’ beyond journalists’ solidarity. That is also the role of journalists who feel the historical responsibility of peace. That is also the role of journalists to feel the historical responsibility of peace. 

“The Korean Peninsula is now, more than ever, in desperate need of help from journalists around the world who feel toward World Peace. It is my hope that journalists from around the world will play an active role so that South Korea can serve as a valuable asset of humanity. I look forward to a future where journalists’ efforts toward World Peace can reap a tangible result through peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

“New Zealand plays a significant role in encouraging denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and supporting and peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region – both through its role in international diplomacy and the example it sets to the rest of the world. New Zealand currently holds a seat on the United Nations Security Council and co-sponsored a resolution in March expanding international sanctions against North Korea. The vote was in response to North Korea’s nuclear test in January which was the fourth since 2006 and also its launch of a long range rocket in February. These events were widely condemned as a flagrant violation of UN resolutions. 

“New Zealand’s support for the resolution within recognition of the continued threat North Korea’s sanctions pose to international peace and security to the Asia-Pacific region. The measures contained in this resolution were designed to send a clear message to North Korea that it will not benefit from its provocative and combative behaviour, and that the best part available to it is a return, in good faith, to negotiations on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. The new measures are believed to be some of the toughest against North Korea in two decades. 

“As part of the sanctions all cargo going to and from the country will be inspected, while 16 new individuals and 12 organisations have been blacklisted. Furthermore, all sales or transfers of small arms and light weapons to North Korea will be banned. However, despite the sanction there is escalating tension between the two Koreas. North Korea continues to push ahead with its nuclear program – threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, South Korea shutdown the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC), a joint inter-Korean industrial zone which had been in operation since 2004. Tension also escalated last month when the US and South Korean troops staged a big amphibious landing exercise, storming simulated North Korean beach defences. A small group of Forces from Australia and New Zealand also participated in the operation.

“Such responses are designed to discourage North Korea from displaying aggressive military force – peace is kept by the reminder of the consequences of war. However, the greatest prospect for peace does not involve a show of arms, but instead a move towards disarmament – the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. This is something New Zealand has supported through its commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and its passionate stance as a nuclear-free zone.

“In 1984, New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange banned nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered or nuclear armed ships from using New Zealand ports or entering our waters. Under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone – Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987, territorial sea, land and air space of New Zealand became nuclear-free zones. This has since remained a part of New Zealand’s foreign policy. 

“In 1983, the Auckland Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) campaign submitted its ‘No Bombs South of the Line’ petition to Parliament with over 80,000 signatures. The petition called on the Government to sponsor a global conference to discuss the establishment of a nuclear-free-zone in the Southern Hemisphere. The anti-nuclear campaign is the only successful movement of its kind in the world and resulted in a nuclear weapon-free zoom being enshrined in legislation. 

“However, New Zealand’s anti-nuclear stance did not come without its challenges. On 4 February 1985, the Government refused the US Navy ship USS Buchanan entry into New Zealand waters because the United States would neither confirm nor deny that the warship had nuclear capability. As a result, within days Washington severed its military and visible intelligence ties and downgraded diplomatic and political exchanges. The position New Zealand has taken against nuclear weapons is based on the belief that the use of such weapons of mass distinction does not assist in the promotion of peace. 

“That stance has become a part of New Zealand’s national identity – time and time again, the public of New Zealand has spoken out against nuclear weapons. The voice of the public has been conveyed by the media – through the coverage of these defining events. New Zealanders were able to send a message to the Government that resulted in the nuclear free movement becoming law. And the message of a nuclear-free nation is one our media delivers to the rest of the world – one that other nations might do well to learn from. 

“We as journalists can all play a significant role in shaping the will for peace by informing our citizens what is at stake. We can educate and inform the public about the risks post by North Korea’s nuclear activity, and highlight the steps that may be useful in encouraging denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula. It’s our duty as members of the international media to keep these issues at the forefront of the discussion worldwide. We need to build an understanding of what drives conflict in Korea, and the ways in which our countries can help to address them. If an informed public speaks, our Governments will listen, and the prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula will become a priority for the rest of the world.”

Role of Japan and China in the North-South Korea equation

“The issue of denuclearisation in the Koran Peninsula remains a tricky one and comes at a very challenging time in the wake of North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and rocket launch, perceived as a banned ballistic missile launch, earlier this year, triggering an international outcry and prompting the UN National Security Council to impose tighter sanctions against Pyongyang.

“Keeping in step with the international community, Japan has also expanded its unilateral sanctions on the North. As one of the neighbouring countries, which will likely face the brunt of North Korea’s ‘provocative actions,’ Japan needs to keep North Korea in check. At the same time, Japan is in a difficult position given its own outstanding issues with the north and needs to prudently exercise its ‘carrot and stick’ policy which calls for a balance in using ‘dialogue and pressure’. Let us take a look at Japan’s relations and engagement with North Korea, especially in the nuclear issue, and its role in efforts toward denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.”

Basic data on Japan-North Korea ties

• Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties 
• Japan seeks a comprehensive resolution of outstanding issues of concern with North Korea including abduction, nuclear and missile issues 
• Japan-North Korea ties reached a crucial stage in September 2002 when then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang for the first time. The North admitted to having abducted Japanese nationals decades ago, and Koizumi and the late North Korean leader Kim Jong II signed the landmark Pyongyang Declaration to seek early normalisation of bilateral ties
• The abduction issue remains a key obstacle to normalising bilateral ties. Japan officially lists 17 nationals as having been abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. Five of the 17 were repatriated in 2002, but Japan continues to seek the return of the remaining abductees and also says North Korea is involved in many more disappearances.
• Japan continues to seek for convincing explanations on the abduction issue. North Korea had promised to investigate the faiths of the abductees through a special panel following an agreement with Japan in 2014, but the North Korea later unilaterally nullified this by dissolving the panel in response to Japan’s new sanctions this year.
• Japan has imposed economic sanction on North Korea’s ballistic missiles firing and nuclear tests over the past decade
• Japan maintains that the position of nuclear weapons by North Korea, with its ‘military-first’ politics, cannot be tolerated. 
• In its 2015, white paper on defence Japan says North Korea’s nuclear weapons development ‘poses a grave threat to Japan’s security and significantly impairs peace and stability in North East Asia and the international community’.

Japan and North Korea’s nuclear issue 

• Japan is a member of the Six-Party talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. The talks which also involve the two Koreas, Russia, the United States and China, have been stalled since 2008.
• Japan has been active in gracing the North Korea’s nuclear issue on the international stage. For this year, particularly, Japan is especially visible in the UN Security Council after becoming a non-permanent member of the Security Council since January for a two-year term. It is Japan’s 11th time assume such a post, a record for any nation.
• Japan has strengthened its cooperation with the United States, its close ally, and South Korea as well as their trilateral cooperation.
• In a bid to expand Japanese troops’ role abroad, Japan’s new security laws came into effect on 29 March. The legislation was enacted in response to the increasingly-severe security environment facing Japan including North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat.

Japan’s latest sanctions on North Korea 

Japan’s new sanctions adopted in February following Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test and rocket launch are as follows:

1) Reinstate the sanctions it lifted in July 2014 in return for North Korea’s launch of new probe into Japanese abductees

2) Ban remittances to North Korea in principle. 

3) Ban re-entry from North Korea of Japan-based foreign engineers involved in nuclear and missile development 

4) Ban from entering Japan ships that have visited ports in North Korea

What more can Japan do in denuclearisation efforts?

“While implementing stronger sanctions on its own, the way to go is to engage more members of the international society to take part in moving forward efforts to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. Japan can try to use as leverage its status on the Security Council to throw more weight on the collective sanctions. Japan can also continue to explore ways to resume six-part of multilateral talks. Also, key would be Japan’s closer security ties with the United States and South Korea, bilaterally and in a trilateral framework.”

“Peace and stability for the Korean Peninsula has always been an important issue. For years now, the People’s Daily has stood by a basic truth concerning nuclear armament in the region, that is, tensions on the Peninsula and North Korea’s nuclear tests are not in the interests of any party in the region. 2 March was an important day for the region as the United Nation’s Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 2270. It has been widely reported that the resolution imposes new sanctions and tightens some existing sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) due to the country’s ongoing nuclear and ballistic missile-related activities that ‘threaten international peace and security’. However, I feel it is important to call attention to the fact that sanctions are only one part of the resolution – a fact that many in the media have failed to reflect in their reporting.

“Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is an issue that the media should approach rigorously and with all seriousness. While Resolution 2270 does in fact include plans for further sanctions, it also expresses concerns about the severe difficulties the people of the DPRK face and makes it clear that the resolution itself bears no intention to cause any negative impact on the humanitarian situation in the country. Or economic cooperation with the DPRK. The resolution goes to great length to reaffirm the aim to maintain the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asian region, restate support. For the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, the commitment  to denuclearisation through peaceful means and that relevant parties refrain from acts that could aggravate tension, and reiterate  the US and DPRK’s promises to respect each other’s sovereignty, seek peaceful coexistence and promote economic cooperation as set out in the 19 September Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks.

“It is not surprising that the media has chosen to focus on the implementation of the resolution. However, some Western media outlets have gone so far as to hint at the idea that China may not live up to its responsibilities when it comes to the resolution. For example one outlet reported that when it comes to the implementation of the resolution ‘much depends, however, on whether China will enforce it. In our eyes such ‘analysis’ obfuscates the truth, as it seems to ignore the fact that China has always been responsible and constructive when handling international affairs, specifically in regards to the Korean Peninsula. The Spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted that China hopes that ‘the resolution can be fully and earnestly implemented.’ In answer to a question raised by a South Korean journalist, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that as a permanent member of the UNSC, China has the obligation and capability to implement any resolutions passes by the UNSC, to include Resolution 2270.

“As journalists, we have a duty to uncover and present the truth, provide logically compelling arguments and offer up our opinions so that they may be judged by the general public. Through our reporting, the People’s Daily has presented the case to the public, that this is a resolution with a definite target, a resolution that calls for all parties to ease tensions, a resolution that can advance peaceful dialogue, a resolution that fully considers the humanitarian situation and people’s livelihood in the DPRK.

“It is widely acknowledged that China plays a unique role in the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and opposes any actions that violate nuclear non-proliferation in the region or threaten regional peace and stability. Bring the DPRK back to the negotiating table is the correct path to take here, as such it should be remembered that sanctions are  a means to this end rather than ends in their own right.

“Over the past months, the People’s Daily has published two commentaries explaining China’s stance on the issue. One emphasised that ‘the resolution should be viewed as a new start and a stepping-stone towards a political solution.’ The article further pointed out that the North Korean nuclear issue has its roots in the serious distrust that formed during the Cold War, and that the only way to turn the situation around is to restart the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible The other commentary pointed out that ‘as its largest neighbour, China will not sit idly by if the stability of the Korean Peninsula is severely undermined. China will not permit any unwarranted damage to its own security and interests.’ The article urged all relevant sides to have patience and courage, and demonstrate the goodwill needed to resume the Six-Party Talks.

“Denuclearisation is one of the most important goals of the international community, while the issue concerning the armistice is a legitimate concern of the DPRK. China has put forward proposals that pursue, in parallel tracks, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the replacement of the armistice agreement with a peace treaty. We believe that these two objectives can be negotiated in parallel, implemented in steps and resolved with reference to each other. As regards to other proposals, such as flexible contacts in a three-party, four-party or even rice-party format, we value any initiatives that help to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue back to the negotiating table.

“In summary, I would like to quote two famous sayings about the dialectical relationship between war and peace. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, ‘There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.’ My other quote comes from the inscription on the stone wall at the entrance to UNESCO headquarters, ‘Since wars begin in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.’ As journalists, we are all committed to the cause of world peace and hold high our peace-loving spirit.”