飯島氏の訪朝 「拉致」解決へ糸口つかめるか

The Yomiuri Shimbun May 21, 2013
Can Iijima's trip to North Korea be conducive to solving abduction issue?
飯島氏の訪朝　「拉致」解決へ糸口つかめるか（5月20日付・読売社説）

Is there any chance of finding a toehold to break the long-standing impasse on the problem of Japanese abducted by North Korean agents? The effectiveness of the diplomatic strategy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration is now being tested over the issue.
　膠着(こうちゃく)状態に陥った日本人拉致問題を打開する糸口はつかめるのか。安倍政権の外交戦略の実効性が問われよう。

Isao Iijima, special adviser to the Cabinet Secretariat, who visited North Korea from Tuesday to Friday, briefed Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga after he returned on Saturday about his trip to Pyongyang. Iijima told the chief government spokesman he held “frank discussions” with senior North Korean officials.
　１４日から１７日まで北朝鮮を訪れた飯島勲内閣官房参与が帰国し、菅官房長官に、「本音の話をしてきた」と報告した。

Among them was Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly and the country’s No. 2 leader. During the meetings, Iijima was quoted as saying that Japan “will not move an inch until the abductions involving Japanese citizens are resolved.”
　飯島氏は北朝鮮で、序列２位の金永南・最高人民会議常任委員長ら要人と会談し、「拉致問題が解決しなければ、日本政府は動かない」とはっきり伝えたという。

N. Korea moves unpredictable

His visit to North Korea was presumably on behalf of Abe, who has publicly said the abduction problem “must be absolutely resolved under my Cabinet.”
　今回の訪朝は、安倍首相の「拉致問題は安倍政権で絶対に解決しなければならない」との意向を受けたものだろう。

Iijima served as policy secretary for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and accompanied him on his 2002 and 2004 visits to North Korea. Abe has confidence in Iijima, who has been involved for years in North Korean diplomacy.
　小泉首相の政務秘書官だった飯島氏は、２００２年と０４年の小泉訪朝に随行している。北朝鮮外交に関与してきた飯島氏に対する安倍首相の信任は厚い。

In 2008, Pyongyang, in working-level talks between Japan and North Korea, committed to the timely launch of a committee for the reinvestigation of Japanese abductees. North Korea, however, failed to live up to its commitment.
　北朝鮮は、０８年の日朝実務者協議で、拉致被害者再調査のための委員会を早期に設置することを約束した。だが、北朝鮮は結局、再調査を見送っている。

In November last year, bilateral discussions resumed for the first time in four years under the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but subsequent sessions have been on hold following the North’s test firing of a long-range ballistic missile.
　昨年１１月、金正恩体制下で実現した４年ぶりの日朝政府間協議も、北朝鮮の長距離弾道ミサイル発射で行き詰まったままだ。

The government has demanded all abductees be returned immediately, full information be disclosed about the abductions, and that all perpetrators be handed over to Japan. There is no telling how Pyongyang will react as it has reiterated that the abduction issue “has already been resolved.”
　日本政府は北朝鮮に、拉致被害者の即時帰国、真相の究明、拉致実行犯の引き渡しを求めている。「拉致問題は解決ずみ」と繰り返してきた北朝鮮が、今後、どう応えてくるのか。

The government, for its part, must closely watch Pyongyang’s moves and independently develop diplomatic policies toward North Korea.
　慎重に見極めつつ、主体的な外交を展開しなければならない。

One concern is the fact that Iijima’s surprise visit, which the Japanese government arranged in absolute secrecy, was leaked to the media by North Korea immediately after Iijima arrived in Pyongyang.
　気がかりなのは、極秘裏に進めていたはずの今回の訪朝が、平壌到着のその時から北朝鮮に一方的に明らかにされたことである。

While the prime minister declined to comment on Iijima’s trip, North Korea treated him very well, as if flaunting his visit, publicizing in detail what he did every day. There can be no denying that the trip was exploited by North Korea.
　首相がノーコメントを通す間、北朝鮮側は飯島氏を厚遇し、動静を連日詳報した。結果的に北朝鮮に利用された面は否めない。

Was Iijima accompanied by an interpreter from Japan? Have records of the content of talks he had with North Korean officials been made available to the Japanese government? Wasn’t his visit linked to the issue of auctioning the headquarters building in Tokyo of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon)?
　日本人通訳は付いていたのか。会談記録は日本側にも残っているのか。朝鮮総連中央本部（東京）の競売問題との関係はなかったのか。

There are many questions like these regarding Iijima’s visit.
多くの疑問がある。

Bid to divide alliance

In giving the green-light to Iijima’s visit, North Korea may have aimed at probing the internal affairs of the Abe Cabinet. At the same time, Pyongyang may have been trying to drive a wedge between Japan, the United States and South Korea, which are set to increase pressure on North Korea.
　北朝鮮には、安倍政権の内情を探るとともに、圧力を強めようとする日米韓の連携にくさびを打ち込む狙いがあっただろう。

Glyn Davies, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy who was in Japan last week, said, “We knew that North Korea would eventually shift their strategy to that of seeking engagement in an effort to split us.” Japan must not give North Korea even the smallest chance of taking advantage of any development in foreign relations.
　来日した米国のデービース北朝鮮担当政府特別代表は、「北朝鮮が我々を分断するため、挑発から対話に戦略転換することは予測していた」と述べた。北朝鮮に、付け入る隙を与えてはなるまい。

The government should redouble efforts to keep international cooperation over North Korea’s missile development ambitions intact, while steadily working to resolve the abduction issue.
　核・ミサイル問題での国際連携を堅持しながら、拉致問題解決へ進展を図っていく。

The Abe administration is urged to produce positive results in addressing these difficult challenges.
その難しい課題に結果を出すことが、安倍政権に求められている。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 20, 2013)
（2013年5月20日01時20分 読売新聞）