Japanese lawmaker wants North Korea kept ‘under siege’ despite charm offensive at Winter Olympics
Japan, which sees itself as a potential target of North Korean missiles, has been one of the most vocal proponents of pressuring the regime into changing course
South Korea must stay in line with US and Japanese plans to keep North Korea “under siege”, the chairman of Japan’s lower house committee on foreign affairs said, referring to the policy of maintaining maximum pressure on Kim Jong-un’s regime.
Just days after Kim’s smiling sister invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to a summit with her brother in Pyongyang – an overture he’s yet to formally accept, Yasuhide Nakayama attacked Seoul’s financial support of the regime.
“At this point, every grain of rice is a military resource,” the member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party who previously served as vice foreign minister, said in an interview on Tuesday. He echoed his government’s line that Kim Yo-jong’s visit south was “smile diplomacy”.
Watch: Who is Kim Yo-jong?
South Korea has provided about 2.8 billion won (US$2.6 million) to support North Korea’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, but has put on hold a further US$8 million aid package. US Vice-President Mike Pence said earlier this week that, while he was open to talks, sanctions would remain in place until North Korea takes a meaningful step toward denuclearisation.
Japan, which sees itself as a potential target of North Korean missiles, has been one of the most vocal proponents of pressuring the regime into changing course.