Japan, N. Korea agree abduction probe should end by fall

Wednesday 13th August, 04:27 AM JST

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9 Comments

DenshaDeGO at 07:15 AM JST - 13th August

Get real, Japan fell for that? Come fall NK will say "Well, we still can find anyone" and Japan will look dumb again.
some14some at 07:20 AM JST - 13th August

Fukuda (LDP) govt may fall earlier than that.
OssanULTRA at 07:23 AM JST - 13th August

If NKorea plays games they will make China look foolish. China isn't going to lose face for this silly country that they have by the cojones.
seansezso at 10:42 AM JST - 13th August

What can be done that has not already been done?

When you compare lists of abductees, North Korea has something like 20 or less, while Japan has a list of possible abductees, and I emphasize the word possible, 5 times that number or more. Japan never used solid reasons to put people on that list. There is no special reason to think they were abducted to North Korea, except a reported sighting or two of one or two people by people claiming to be North Korean agents and such.

By over-inflating the list, I dont know if Japan is trying to fool the world, or if it has just succeeded in fooling itself.

I dont trust North Korea either, but its more likely that a few abductees were tossed overboard, never identified, and maybe never reported by North Korean agents. There is no way those people will be found. Frankly, Japan is better off using its resources to track other missing people as well as classify people on its possible abductee list better.

If any new people are found, it will be people who did not want to be found.
Zolt at 12:43 PM JST - 13th August

Probably nothing will come out of it and we'll be back to square one, but still, I'm surprised NK even agreed to discuss the matter again, that was high on my "never in a million years" list.
smithinjapan at 01:40 PM JST - 13th August

So long as Japan lives up to its word, which is more than NK has done in the past (and Japan, to an extent, in reaction), NK will give SOMETHING as a result. I doubt it will be much, and far less than Japan wants, but it will be the start of something positive. Now, if after that the two nations continue along this baby-step path, things might actually progress to the point where it was under Koizumi, when the initial abductees were returned, and before Bush sent things back to the dark ages with all the 'axis of evil' crap.

IF, however, Japan weasles out of the deal when NK fails to give anything solid, it'll go back to square one again. And let's set the record straight once and for all; Japan agreed to lift sanctions partially for REINVESTIGATION, not for results.
The_Pope at 03:29 PM JST - 13th August

smithinjapan Its called the-carrot-and-the-stick diplomacy. Japan gives the DPRK a carrot to so something, and if they don't like the results, WHAM -- do that enough times and maybe that pint-sized dictator will get the message...
nigelboy at 03:40 PM JST - 13th August

So long as Japan lives up to its word, which is more than NK has done in the past (and Japan, to an extent, in reaction), NK will give SOMETHING as a result.

Replace "Japan" with "China,Russia, SK, U.S., Japan) and "word" with "6-nation Agreed Framework" and you'll get the absurdity of the above statement in regards to NK's "good faith" in the past.
some14some at 04:31 PM JST - 13th August

For Japan NK's 'Abduction' is like 'Tamagochi' virtual pet game that made people go crazy in mid 90's, now this game is modified and has 'pause'& 're-set' functions also. Moreover, Japan is always influenced by 'manga' culture so they will always believe abduction as something that 'really' happened 30 yrs ago. I do expect some sort of financial aid from Japan but nothing in return from NK.