North Korea, under the vile regime of the ailing Kim Jong Il, continues with its provocative belligerency in the face of recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, effectively sticking two fingers up at its erstwhile interlocutors in the failed Six Party Talks and the wider international community. It seems clear that having become “a proud nuclear power” North Korea is not going to give up its new toys. Rather than being yet another outward sign of Mr. Kim’s irrationality, lunacy or unpredictability (his policy of sabre rattling to squeeze concessions from those that would curb his nuclear proliferation is all too predictable) this latest line of provocation serves his interests by shoring up his grip on power, easing the alleged transition of authority to his son, appeasing military hardliners and attempting to impress his starving subjects (although he may have impressed more by sticking to the brewing of beer in order to raise the benighted country’s spirits.)

It remains to be seen how effective the UNSC sanctions will be and whether or not concerned parties will put Mr. Kim’s threats of war and destruction to the test by searching his ocean going vessels. Admittedly his recent actions have finally managed to annoy both China and Russia enough for them to give increased sanctions against North Korea the go ahead. However, it is probably safe to assume that China remains more concerned about the prospect of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) collapse and the hordes of starving refugees that, fleeing from their workers paradise, would no doubt surge across China’s borders. Where has Japan been in all this?

After severely limiting its ability to participate constructively in the Six Party Talks by making the abduction issue the centre of Japanese policy on the matter of North Korea, especially since the Abe administration, Japan managed to take to the spotlights once more in leading the calls for tougher sanctions on the DPRK. This should not, however, be seen as cause for celebration or hope that Japan may be taking a more pragmatic approach to the situation. While the world frets over the prospect of a nuclear North Korea, its tests of bombs and missiles and the possible destabilization of security in the East Asian region Prime Minister Asō, in the Asō Cabinet E-mail Magazine (July 2^nd, 2009) had this to say,

Japan will strongly urge that North Korea observe the Security Council resolution sincerely and fully, and that it take action toward the comprehensive resolution of the abduction, nuclear and missile issues.

Clearly, as far as the Japanese government (or at least its omote rhetoric) is concerned the abduction issue remains of primary importance. Rather than focusing on the safety of the Japanese people and the security and stability of the wider region it continues to place the issue of a handful of abductees snatched from the motherland a couple of decades ago before what are almost certainly more pressing concerns not only for Japanese citizens today but also for those of neighbouring and allied nations. If Japan insists on adherence to this stance surely its ability to facilitate some form of solution to the North Korean problem will remain limited. In effect, will Japan simply cede authority on this issue to China, leaving that neighbouring power to work closely with Japan’s ally, the United States, in solving the problem? Perhaps Japan’s options would open up if the DPJ does indeed manage to secure electoral victory and form a government. However, the LDP (with the help of the media establishment) has successfully politicised the abduction issue to such a degree that it may be difficult for any DPJ government to change course on this issue. As with everything else in Japan these days, we shall just have to wait and see.