North Korea challenges Japan's qualification to attend 6-nation talks

Tuesday 09th December, 06:29 AM JST

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pointofview at 10:25 AM JST - 9th December

Sounds a bunch of politicians who just can`t do their jobs right.
timorborder at 10:28 AM JST - 9th December

Come on Japan, two can play this game. If the abductee issue is really that important to Japan, perhaps they should start arm twisting among the other members. For starters, no aid at all for the drug-producing, enslaving, despot in Pyongyang. Secondly, they might want to talk to South Korea about who will help bail them out when the next financial crisis hits. The same goes with regard to Japanese investment in China, etc.

If Japan were to act in the same immature and pedantic way as Kim Jong Ill and his cabal of malcreants, S would really hit the F.

Actually, why are these talks place. North Korea is a rogue nation. Enslavement of its people, production of drugs, WMD, blah, blah, blah. Pity it doesn't have a pot to pxss in, however, because if it did, the leaders of the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Pyongyang would be 'hanging about' with a certain former leader of Iraq. Indeed, I wish the current US administration and its allies would follow the mantra of Curious George (which even he doesnt follow himself): "No deals with terrorists."
bdiego at 10:37 AM JST - 9th December

What's refreshing is that North Korea's position is pretty open and clear: Give us money or we won't change.

They're not known for subtlety in these things.
nimbus at 11:10 AM JST - 9th December

Nkoreans are such a bunch of monkeys. Beggars should learn to behave like beggars. Maybe then they'd get some sympathy.

In this case, the North Korean government is not begging, it is blackmailing.
gogogo at 11:20 AM JST - 9th December

North Korea are such freaking babies.
herefornow at 11:40 AM JST - 9th December

Personally, I agree with the NK position -- both Japan and NK are being childish, so they have as much right to their position as Japan does. The six-party talks were set up to resolve the nuclear issue, not abductions. How come SK can be mature enough to separate the two in order to focus on the big picture?
electric2004 at 12:58 PM JST - 9th December

"Pay to become qualified ..." Where did I read this before ... not from a communist regime, but it is actual the selling practise of some US-American companies. For example in a hotel: pay each day, and you are qualified to stay. With software: pay more, and maybe you are qualified for an update ...
some14some at 02:55 PM JST - 9th December

"Pay to become qualified ..." Where did I read this before ...

true, so to avoid further unpleasantness, Japan should ask for 'easy-installment' payment terms and avoid default which is illegal.
adm_kenshin at 04:34 PM JST - 9th December

I find it amusing when people make the assumption that a nation is a single individual.
redneckzombie at 08:34 PM JST - 9th December

With Japan so close to North Korea, and being the only nation that's ever been hit by a nuclear attack, it's only natural that they would want to attend such a meeting. North Korea just seems to be looking for an excuse to keep them away to me.
ca1ic0cat at 09:50 PM JST - 9th December

Japan certainly has a different perspective wrt. NK as their beaches have been used to abduct citizens. I suppose SK has had the same done to them.

But the real point is this: if lil' Kim wants to challenge Japan's qualifications to talk should Japan challenge NKs existence?

You have to wonder why China supports this pond scum NK regime. It reflects very badly on the Chinese government as well.
usaexpat at 01:28 AM JST - 10th December

NK: "because Japan didn't give into our black mail they shouldn't attend the talks where we intend to blackmail the 6 parties for even more aid" Whatever, they'll starve to death sooner or later while blindly worshipping their dear leader who may or may not be incapacitated or dead.
OssanAmerica at 06:17 AM JST - 10th December

smith:Agreed, however a beggar with a gun is a different story.

We have a method for dealing with such individuals with guns. That we didn't do so much earlier in this case is our mistake.
ca1ic0cat at 06:45 AM JST - 10th December

I've heard the exact same rather heartless comment from...

or, heaven forbid, a North Korean.
jaotsu at 03:20 AM JST - 11th December

When Japan presented the issue of past abductions of Japanese citizens to North Korea during Japan’s qualification to attend the six-party talks on denuclearizing Pyongyang; it was an excellent demonstration of why N.Korea is NOT to be trusted. It demonstrates the unwillingness and the broken promises of N.Korea.