朝鮮休戦６０年 平和妨げる北朝鮮の核武装化

The Yomiuri Shimbun July 29, 2013
Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions continue to be impediment to peace
朝鮮休戦６０年　平和妨げる北朝鮮の核武装化（7月28日付・読売社説）

The 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice in the Korean War comes as North Korea continues to push ahead with its nuclear programs.
　北朝鮮が核武装化を進める中で、朝鮮戦争の休戦協定調印から６０年の節目を迎えた。

The Korean War began with the North’s invasion of the South in 1950, and claimed the lives of more than 3 million people before the armistice was signed three years later.
　１９５０年、北朝鮮の韓国侵攻で始まった朝鮮戦争は、死者３００万人以上の惨禍をもたらし、３年後、休戦協定の調印でひとまず収まった。

Fierce fighting between U.S.-led U.N. Command forces backing South Korea and China, which deployed Chinese People’s Volunteer Army troops because it feared North Korea would collapse, ended with a divided Korean Peninsula in the absence of a peace treaty.
　米軍主導の国連軍が韓国を支援し、北朝鮮の崩壊を恐れる中国が人民志願軍を送り込んだ激戦の後始末は、南北分断を固定化しただけで、平和を保障していない。

China’s change of mind

The North and South are continuing their military confrontation across the Demilitarized Zone, and there is a danger the situation could explode into an armed conflict.
南北朝鮮が対峙(たいじ)する状況は、依然、爆発しやすい危険性をはらむ。

North Korea, which falsely claims the armistice was a “victory,” celebrated the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice on Saturday with a massive military parade in Pyongyang.
　休戦を「勝利」とごまかす北朝鮮は調印６０年の２７日、平壌で大規模な軍事パレードを行った。

The scale of the parade was aimed apparently at flaunting the power of Pyongyang’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, the first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, while diverting the people’s increasing discontent over the country’s wrecked economy.
　若い金正恩第１書記の権威を誇示し、経済の破綻で高まる国民の不満をかわす狙いがあろう。

The biggest concern for Japan and other countries is the beefing up of North Korea’s nuclear programs, which Kim has been promoting. Massive throngs of armed soldiers marched in the Pyongyang parade as if trying to impress the rest of the world with the strength of the North’s ability to wage war with missiles and nuclear weapons.
　日本など国際社会の最大の懸念材料は、第１書記が進める核戦力強化だ。パレードにも、核・ミサイル戦力の向上を印象づけたいかのような兵器部隊が登場した。

As a matter of course, North Korea has been forced to pay the piper. The U.N. Security Council has imposed economic sanctions on Pyongyang for repeatedly carrying out nuclear tests and test-launching long-range ballistic missiles.
　無論、その代償は大きい。国連安全保障理事会は、長距離弾道ミサイル発射と核実験を繰り返す北朝鮮に経済制裁を科した。

China’s recent change from its conventional stance of fully defending North Korea appears to have made the international coalition against the North more solid.
　中国が、北朝鮮擁護の姿勢を転換したことも、北朝鮮包囲網を狭める効果を生んだ。

During the military parade, Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao stood alongside Kim on the podium overlooking Pyongyang’s main Kim Il Sung Square. Li reportedly told Kim that Beijing was determined to maintain its policy of pursuing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, working to ensure peace and security on the peninsula and resolving tensions through dialogue and consultations.
　軍事パレードの観閲席で金第１書記の横に立った中国の李源潮国家副主席は、「朝鮮半島の非核化実現、平和と安全の維持、対話と協議による解決を堅持する」と第１書記に伝えたという。

This can be taken as a message to Pyongyang to return to the six-nation talks, as Beijing is resolved not to allow North Korea to possess nuclear weapons or engage in military provocations.
　北朝鮮の核保有や武力挑発を許さず、６か国協議への復帰を求めるメッセージだ。

China, as the largest donor country and trade partner of North Korea, has a life-or-death influence over the North. Beijing’s stance on seeking North Korea’s denuclearization will now be put to the test.
中国は、最大の支援国、貿易相手国として北朝鮮の生殺与奪の権を握る。今後、非核化への本気度が問われよう。

In regard to North Korea’s call for a direct dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, the United States has made such a dialogue contingent on the North abandoning its nuclear ambitions. This condition is quite reasonable.
　米国は、北朝鮮が求める対話には、まず北朝鮮が非核化への具体的な行動を取るよう条件を付けている。北朝鮮の核廃棄が対話目的であるべきで、当然の前提だ。

North must heed others

Pyongyang, for its part, must heed the voices of Japan, the United States and South Korea, which are calling on the North to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
　北朝鮮は、核放棄を促す日米韓の声を真摯(しんし)に聞く必要がある。

The environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula has changed dramatically since the signing of the armistice.
　朝鮮半島を取り巻く環境は、休戦当時とは大きく変わった。

For one thing, South Korea has established diplomatic relations with China, and the value of its trade with Beijing has expanded to such an extent that it has surpassed its combined trade with Japan and the United States.
　韓国は、中国と国交を樹立し、対中貿易額は、対米、対日の貿易総額を凌駕(りょうが)するまでに至った。

North Korea has made the choice of becoming a nuclear power, with the result that it cannot normalize diplomatic relations with Japan or the United States. As it has been driven into a corner, Pyongyang has even declared it is ready to “pull out of the deal” concerning the armistice agreement.
　一方の北朝鮮は、核武装化への道を選択し、米国や日本との国交正常化の展望を開けずにいる。行き詰まった末に、朝鮮休戦協定の「白紙化」まで宣言した。

Japan, the United States, China and South Korea must remain vigilant to prevent North Korea from conducting new nuclear tests, missile launches or military provocations by firmly maintaining stringent sanctions to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programs.
　日米中韓など関係国は、さらなる核実験や弾道ミサイル発射、武力挑発への警戒を怠らず、強力な制裁を堅持して、北朝鮮に核放棄を迫っていかねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 28, 2013)
（2013年7月28日01時09分 読売新聞）