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© 2016 AFPJapan announces new sanctions against North Korea
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© 2016 AFP
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LegrandeRio
Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were relocated to Japan to support Japan's war effort and made to do dangerous work (and everyone's pretty familiar with the comfort women issue). Gruesome medical experiments were also carried out on Korean nationals. Bombs (including napalm) which devastated the peninsula during the Korean War were manufactured in Japan. This is the background to the abduction of Japanese nationals to the North during the 70's and 80's. Those historical realities don't justify the abductions, but are a part of the fabric.
ThePBot
NK: Who needs ships or airplanes when we got rockets?
AU_user_since_1998
At least 100 Billion Yen yearly legal remittances from NK residents in Japan should be banned too. Japan should target also illegal money remittances thru Chinese contacts and at least stop sending bicycle, electronic parts from Akihabara including second-hand notebook-PC and gyroscopes which end up in NK rockets and submarines.
Also stop the package sent to NK from used-clothing and used Skii-wears and gears from Japan. Never allow the Mangyongbong-92 ship to ever dock in Niigata port.
KnowBetter
None of these sanctions will work UNTIL CHINA GETS ON BOARD AND SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT ON NORTH KOREA!!! Oh and any other NUT BAG STATE that has been supplying NK with the 'ingredients' for their weapons programmes.
gogogo
These are not new, these are the same ones Japan gave back last year when North Korea promised to investigate the abductions. Most JT posters noted nothing would happen and it didn't.
turbotsat
Japan has NK citizens?
Michael Net Work
It's all SOUND BITES because Japan and all the countries who are worried about NK can not do anything about what they are doing. Sanctions have not worked with NK since the beginning. So, to keep the constituents happy, the leaders have to say something to make it appear that they are indeed actually doing something. Which is nothing.
nath
So what do you propose?
AU_user_since_1998
stop or block the shipments of high-end/high-class French/California wine and cigars to the regime.
When Kim Jung-Un and his party mates drink poor-man's Chinese wine laced with fake ingredients and fake Chinese cigar, that's the time NK regime will ask for a serious talk again.
mitokomonalex
Funny situation...if North Korea extends a olive twig (peace) and normalizes relations Japan woudl certainly suffer economically and militarily in the long run. Best way to ensure continued division is to enforce hard sanctions against the North. How fast Japan forgets ....it was only 71-80 years ago that sanctions forced Japan to go it's own way militarily. Sanctions only hurt the citizens and I have no quarrels whatsoever with the regular joe in North Korea. Lift the sanctions, make the citizens aware of the outside world and it would turn out like China today. On the other hand the military industry complet wouldn't like that especially since Japan is beginning to be involved in selling weapons abroad so wars can continue.
AU_user_since_1998
Japan should help smuggle small usb flash drives with movies, variety shows and documentary modern-affluence life of USA, Switzerland, EU and SK, and perhaps including HK, and Shanghai.
Wc626
And yet, Abe & cabinet are all buddy-buddy with Iran all of sudden . . . knowing dam-well there is a partnership (iran-NK) regarding missile technology and nuclear ambitions.
nath
I got -3 votes so far for this question:
I don't really care about minus votes (and often enjoy it when I get a high number of them), but I do have to say I'm a little baffled as to why someone would vote this question down. Does anyone want to answer the question? If the sanctions aren't enough, then what do you propose?
kurisupisu
Sanctions have little effect on the ruling class but will have on the impoverished of North Korea.....
Wc626
(didn't minus vote you, btw)
So what do you propose? Well for starters, we need (western) leadership, with spine, to stand-up to these tyrants. Ordinary North Koreans are so brainwashed by the regime, there is little hope any coup from within.
The key lies with Chinese (especially the chinese) and Russian involvement first. If NK still throws tantrums, then china/russia need to drop them like a hot potato.
Then SK, JPN and US get their bombers up in the air and light-up Pyongyang like a christmas tree. Send tons of cheap rice for already (already) hungry and soon to be displaced.
After the regime is gone, let the two Koreas unite. Make NK masses unlearn all the nonsense they've been taught by the failed state of Kim Ill-sung (the Great Leader) and his offspring.
Can't make an omlet without breaking some eggs.
nath
Ahh, so more war against a state that hasn't attacked anyone. An oldie, but a goodie! Worked great in Iraq, just ask ISIS!
Bob Sneider
just trying desperate to stay relevant in international politics, completely meaningless action
smithinjapan
“We strongly urge North Korea to take positive steps toward a comprehensive resolution of various concerns, such as abductions, nuclear and missiles, under a policy of dialogue-and-pressure and action-for-action,”
Sorry, but kiss those issues goodbye completely with these sanctions. Japan is indeed being firm here, as is South Korea, but Japan can't then say, "Um, but can you please keep working on resolving the abduction issue, please?" It's very unfortunate, but I think we all know the pattern this will take:
Sanctions are imposed, Japan and SK and the US feel good about themselves. NK says it is tantamount to a declaration of war. NK threatens more nuke tests, not letting the other nations forget that their latest rocket has the ability to carry increased payload. The other governments meet to discuss how they can bring NK to the table without yet removing sanctions, and ask NK to abide by UN resolutions. NK tests a bomb, claiming success on a larger hydrogen bomb test. The other nations struggle to verify it and condemn it, threatening to somehow further sanction the nation, appealing to China and Russia to help, who will simply kind of condemn the testing but do nothing. NK will prepare another rocket test, to which the other nations will ask NK to sit down and express a willingness to relax some of the sanctions in return for not carrying out the test and "dropping the program". NK will demand the sanctions be relaxed immediately, but will maintain the right to a nuclear and space program. The other nations will agree to relax some sanctions. NK will launch a rocket anyway. and on, and on.
shonanbb
And what do they stick them into? I have an answer, but it is not a computer. They do not have them...computers that is.
Kira Yeung
great beat the NK
Christopher Glen
The best thing would be to completely ignore North Korea when they do this. The regime thrives on attention seeking, and at the moment they have the spotlight
hsr0601
Why do China & NK continuously provoke their neighbouring countries ? In my view, it came from Chinese yuan depreciation and the huge trade deficit of U.S in the past. Facing strong criticism from America, China seemed to opt for comperitive armaments to benefit American armaments industries in a bid to compensate for the U.S loss. Laetly, I've seen a title from bloomberg. Yuan Seen Needing Bigger Depreciation for China to Reap Benefits.
misunderstood
@wc626 Then SK, JPN and US get their bombers up in the air and light-up Pyongyang like a christmas tree.
So your solution is war! Not so smart a post. The real reason China will not do anything is they do not want a stream of a NK refugees storming their borders should NK fall not only that China does not want a United Korea and a major US ally sitting on their borders. Suggest you take political science 100.
smithinjapan
hsr0601: "In my view, it came from Chinese yuan depreciation and the huge trade deficit of U.S in the past."
Ridiculous, especially since China has condemned the test as well.
wc626: "Then SK, JPN and US get their bombers up in the air and light-up Pyongyang like a christmas tree."
Because NK launched a satellite?? Then please hurry up and do the same to the US, preferably first, for they have done FAR worse, and obviously attitudes like yours are much worse and more violent than whatever you've imagined NK has done here. Reminds me of when people who know nothing shout that "Islam is violent so we need to kill all Muslims!" or something equally as hypocritical.
Wc626
What are we supposed to do? Slapping "new sanctions" won't work. Meanwhile NK is set to blow the tits off the earth and you expect the west to just stand-bye? JPN and SK too? Not a smart post.
@misunderstood. Strangerland got some thumbs dwn just for posting:
So I responded with a frivolous comment. No biggy. You need to learn how to calm dwn and let posters post.
nath
Nothing. All they've done is saber rattling, and it's all they are going to do. We already have missile defense systems planted around them. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to invade a sovereign nation that has not attacked anyone.
Did you not learn anything from Iraq and Vietnam?
Wc626
Iraq was defeated (miliarily) in 1991. Iraq was liberated after 9/11. Maliki's (post) failed leadership coupled with the Sunni/Shiite drama is to blame for the Iraq of today. As for vietnam, the VC whipped US forces. You win some lose some. No biggy.
Not enough. Cannot depend entirely on missile defense. When you were in 4th or 5th grade was there a bully at ur school? There was at my school. And he messed with some kids. But in the back of my mind, I had it all planned out. ( . . . if this guy ever mouths off to me and gets n' me face, "I'm throwing the first punch")
nath
No no, we're talking about invading countries that have not attacked anyone. Iraq had invaded Kuwait at that point. I was talking about the next invasion:
9/11 had nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq, other than being a false pretense. And look what that liberation led to - the destruction of the middle class, and the single biggest threat facing the world right now (ISIS).
Countries that have not attacked should not be attacked. Because when you attack a country that has not attacked, you become the attacker, and have no moral ground whatsoever, which fuels resistance, hatred, and war.
Moderator
Back on topic please.
Louis Amsel
war is completely out of the question. a war only creates more problems than it solves, even a 'victory' one. besides I doubt uncle same want his ass spanked by the chinese again.
Wc626
As a last resort when all other means have failed, war can be justified. Everyone know the NK regime are laughing & high-fiving the reaaction by Abe and US. Slapping "new sanctions" won't work.
SK has ROK Marines. They're real badasses. I'd put them against ANY elite chinese unit. The bloodiest fighting would be korean vs korean (sk vs nk), brother killing brother.
nath
War is never justified. Only defense of one's home.
Good for them. "Sticks and stones my break my bones, but names will never hurt me". Let them laugh - it does nothing.
They worked with Iran. It's the right way to do things.
Wc626
So if they launch a missile at (oh lets say) Sendai. And sdf successfully intercepted the missile via missile defenses. Then a few days later the launch @ Seoul and US bases in Okinawa.
Then what? We go on with our lives and act like nothing has happened? Because we are relying on missile defense & that's enough?
Given my scenario, war is now "justified" correct?? And what if one of the NK missile had successfully acquired their target cities?
This is why preemptive strikes are better.
nath
That's different from laughing, isn't it.
And if they do launch a missile, then it's time to do something. But not until they have attacked someone. Because if you attack before being attacked, you are the one who is in the wrong.
Defense of one's homeland is always justified. The attackers however are in the wrong for warring.
Nope, because then you are in the wrong. "Preemptive strikes" actually don't exist, because you can never know if the other side was going to strike, so therefore it's just a strike, not a preemptive strike. It's waging war, and war is never justified. Ever.
turbotsat
Just in re that one bit, it's not likely they'd shoot at something that was defended by missile defenses, if they could avoid it.
Whether the missile got through or not, they'd probably get stomped on within a few or several hours. So if they're going to go for it, Gotterdammerung, may as well try to hit something.