Japan, South Korea urge North Korea to avoid provocation

Thursday 12th February, 03:11 AM JST

SEOUL —

South Korea and Japan told North Korea on Wednesday to avoid provocative behavior and contribute to regional stability amid recent saber-rattling by the communist state.

South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and his Japanese counterpart Hirofumi Nakasone met in Seoul for talks that largely focused on North Korea, the global financial meltdown, Afghanistan and piracy off Somalia.

“Both of us shared concerns about North Korea’s intentional acts of stoking tension ... and urge North Korea to behave in a way that contributes to regional stability,” Yu said at a joint news conference with Nakasone.

Tension between the two Koreas has spiked in recent weeks, with the North declaring it would scrap peace agreements with the South, warning of a nuclear war on the peninsula and reportedly preparing to test a missile capable of striking the western United States.

The South Korean and Japanese ministers also agreed to cooperate to quickly rid North Korea of its nuclear programs under the framework of six-party talks that also involve the U.S., China and Russia, according to a South Korean Foreign Ministry statement. The disarmament talks have been stalled for months over how to verify the North’s past nuclear activities.

Nakasone said through an interpreter that he told Yu it is necessary to achieve a “comprehensive resolution” of the North’s nuclear and missile programs as well as its past abductions of Japanese citizens.

He also stressed that “close cooperation” with the United States is important to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff.

Nakasone said he and Yu will discuss North Korean issues with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, when she visits Seoul and Tokyo next week as part of her Asian trip that also includes stops in Indonesia and China.

In Washington, Clinton told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. is “hopeful” that North Korea’s recent bellicose behavior will not lead to threatening regional peace and stability. She said North Korea must understand that its neighbors see its behavior as “unacceptable.”

The South Korean and Japanese ministers also agreed to bolster their countries’ economic cooperation in the face of the ongoing global economic crisis, a South Korean Foreign Ministry statement said.

The statement said that South Korea and Japan agreed to cooperate to help the Group of 20 summit in London in April to work out concrete measures on reviving the world economy and containing protectionism.

The statement also said the two top diplomats agreed to help rebuild Afghanistan by launching projects to nurture vocational experts and assist its agricultural sector.

They also agreed to cooperate in fighting piracy in waters off Somalia. Both countries plan to send warships to the area and Yu said they can exchange related intelligence.

Ties between South Korea and Japan have been prone to repeated tensions because of issues arising from Tokyo’s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910-45.

The Asian neighbors, however, are already key trade partners with two-way trade reaching $82.6 billion in 2007. The countries have recently agreed to expand currency swap deals to $30 billion amid the global financial turmoil.

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Associated Press Writer Kwang-tae Kim contributed to this report.

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Latest 15 of 27 Total Comments Show All

M51T at 04:09 AM JST - 12th February

If Japan hadn't colonised Korea and then left the nation in ruins, perhaps North Korea would not exist.
OssanAmerica at 04:19 AM JST - 12th February

If Japan hadn't colonised Korea and then left the nation in ruins, >perhaps North Korea would not exist.

Wrong. If the USSR hadn't decided to set up a communist state to oppose the democratic south, it wouldn't exist. Besides, Japan didn't leave Korea in ruins.
TokyoHustla at 04:29 AM JST - 12th February

Yo. Hustlaz up North need to stand down. They need the help of the world and the need to come clean on the durty bizness they been putting forth 4 decades. Then we can bring hustlaz in and reform the country, make korea one again. It's for the best.
bakabaka at 07:57 AM JST - 12th February

Ossan ... I suggest you read a little history before you characterize the early S, Korean state as democratic. One thing I have never understood about this is that many in Japan say they were forced to go to war against the west because of sanctions against them by the west, but cant see that if N. Korea took the same attitude they would start a war with Japan because of the japanese sanctions.
M51T at 09:04 AM JST - 12th February

North Korea is a legacy of Japanese colonialism. You can't pin everything on the Russians.
OssanAmerica at 09:15 AM JST - 12th February

Ossan ... I suggest you read a little history before you characterize >the early S, Korean state as democratic. One thing I have never >understood about this is that many in Japan say they were forced to go >to war against the west because of sanctions against them by the west, >but cant see that if N. Korea took the same attitude they would start a >war with Japan because of the japanese sanctions.

We all know the history of the ROK. When I said "Democratic" South I meant in the sense that the United States was backing it, as opposed to the DPRK backed by the USSR. Please read the words in the context that they are used. There's no comparison. Japan was hit with an embargo on oil and steel prior to WWII with no other available sources. Japan doesn't supply NKOrea with anything approaching that degree of fundamental importance to maintaining the North Korean economy. NKorea can get oil and steel and anything else it needs of that nature from China. What excactly are the Japanedse sanctions on North Korea going to cover? Cash earned from Pachinko Parlors?
OssanAmerica at 09:15 AM JST - 12th February

North Korea is a legacy of Japanese colonialism. You can't pin >everything on the Russians.

Utter nonsense. South Korea is the legacy of Japanese colonialism. Not North Korea.
NuckinFutz at 01:43 PM JST - 12th February

North Korea's "great leader" is nothing more then a pathetic dictator who is guilty of everything from genocide against his own people to kidnapping foreigners. The only recognition he should be given is an Interpol warrant for his arrest and transfer to an international human rights court. As for his threats to "test a missile capable of reaching the USA" go ... well remember his test in the late 90's when NK claimed success in hitting a target with it's latest missile? The target was the Pacific Ocean! Maybe he needs a reminder that the USA already HAS a missile more than capable of wiping his luxury estate, swimming pool, and wine cellar right off the face of the planet.
DJJapan at 02:17 PM JST - 12th February

NK is the thorn in the side for all of Asia and when the rest of Asia starts to take less notice of it, it then decides to chuck its little tantrums. All regional neighbours of the country should band together as one voice, Ask them WTF? As neighbours we can respect our differences, make ammends, co-operate and become a mature looking region that would make the rest of the world start to appreciate further and respect Asia in a light that can truly be a regional cornerstone of the world not to mention the world economy, for the future generations as well. Because under the current way things are NK makes itself and the rest of the region look childish which especially includes Japan.
rajakumar at 06:12 PM JST - 12th February

China will change North korea, and not allow them to do anything.

China also needs to tame North korea economic woes, by teaching them how to follow China's economic boom ways via capital building china style.
smithinjapan at 07:56 PM JST - 12th February

Ossan and Calico: "smith, if NK came clean about any of the abductees they should be able to come clean about them all. Rewarding a partial disclosure and expecting more disclosure is exactly want NK wants - to blackmail people into providing aid to prop up their bankrupt (financially, morally, legally) regime. This is the typical crap that NK dishes out on uranium, plutonium, nukes, not lauching missiles. It's rather amazing to see the whole leadership of a country pitch a fit, but there you are."

Well, let's just hope you guys are right, because you don't have the greatest record of it, and it would sure be one horrible 'I told you so' in this case.

As for why they won't come clean, I stand behind my reasoning; they came clean in order to see Japan's reactions towards making progress in normalization, Japan freaked out. 'Coming clean' even more, if there's anything at all left to tell (and they say there's not), will make Japan all the more whiny and upset, throwing the hissy fits you say only NK is capable of.

If NK tests a ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental US, don't scream to me about what to do.
OssanAmerica at 10:01 PM JST - 12th February

Well, let's just hope you guys are right, because you don't have the >greatest record of it, and it would sure be one horrible 'I told you so' >in this case.

Well smith, the only thing I've consistently said over the years is that NKorea can't be trusted, that their "negotiations" including all the walk-outs were simply a way to delay any action to stop their development. I was proven correct on thisafter their test, and am still eing proven correct now. My record of being correct oin NKorea has been 100%. Of course it hasn't been very difficult.

If NK tests a ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental US, >don't scream to me about what to do.

No one is going to be screaming anything, other than perhaps yourself. NKorea can test what they want. We can wipe NKOrea off he face of this earth. Our simply telling Chinas that we are going to do so is enough for China to replace the NKOrea govt.
likeitis at 10:36 PM JST - 12th February

Well smith, the only thing I've consistently said over the years is that NKorea can't be trusted,

Pray tell, WHO can? I cannot remember exactly what it was at this moment, but not that long ago the U.S. made a promise to N.K., reneged, and then, weeks later, kept the promise. During the whole thing, N.K. kept their side of the bargain as far as I remember. Hopefully specifics will come to me soon.

So, no reason to single out N.K. as being untrustworthy. Even when they started to open up, they got a very good reason to clam right back up again, just as Smith points out. They are reacting to us just as much as we are reacting to them. Its a vicious cycle that will not be broken until SOMEBODY grows up, and recognizes and tolerates the childishness of the rest.
Raymasaki at 12:43 AM JST - 13th February

I HATE kim jong il NK are such cowards! they threraten with Nuclear weapons & to SOME south koreans thats OK. They claim to be indipendent then cry to the UN they need help. & aid is sent to them from, USA Japan Southkorea. everytime they are hit with Sanctions they complain there being neglected & tell their people that we are starving on purpose. China! needs to apply pressure But they Dont. they Brag that their country is becomeing "more Rich" chinese people have the attitude. Let them be communists & starve, while we become Rich. they just dont care.
DELTA440 at 04:32 AM JST - 16th February

easy as cake north korea launches, norad confirm missile launch roger intercepters 2 threw 5 launched eastern usa intercept abm missile launch confirmed,relatitorly us presidient issues retalitory 2 trident d3 peacemakers launch from silos from the contineential usa 2 icbms away interceptors knock north korean missiles out the sky us nukes hit north korea us pacific naval fleet then moves in to invade game over