(* This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only. The original text is in Japanese.)

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba

Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 5:05 p.m.
Place: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Opening Remarks
- (1) Japan-North Korea Consultations
Japan-North Korea Consultations
Japan-ROK relations

1. Opening Remarks

(1) Japan-North Korea Consultations

Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba: As the Chief Cabinet Secretary announced earlier, to discuss various issues between Japan and North Korea and to resume consultations between the governments of Japan and North Korea in the near term, a preliminary consultation is scheduled to be held in Beijing on August 29. Last week, on August 9 and 10, a meaningful exchange of opinions was conducted between the Japanese Red Cross and the North Korean Red Cross regarding the issue of the human remains of the Japanese who were left in North Korea after the war. Based on the fact that at the meeting it was confirmed that they would request involvement of the governments, I believe that it is necessary to deepen consultations at the level of the governments of Japan and North Korea concerning that issue and also other various issues between Japan and North Korea.
As details including agenda items of a plenary consultation will be determined at the preliminary consultation, at a plenary consultation, we intend to discuss wide-ranging issues including the abduction issue. The Government of Japan will properly conduct consultations under the existing policy of making efforts to comprehensively resolve various issues in accordance with the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration and to realize normalization of the relations through settlement of the unfortunate past.

2. Japan-North Korea Consultations

Yamaguchi, TV Tokyo: I would like to ask once again about the preliminary consultation scheduled for August 29. Could you please tell us what the significance and aim of this are?

Minister Gemba: As I just mentioned, there are various issues between Japan and North Korea such as the issue of the remains, which was discussed during the meeting between the Japanese Red Cross and the North Korean Red Cross, and the abduction issue. There is a need to deepen discussions on these issues, and I think now is the time for this.

Yokota, Mainichi Newspapers: When you mentioned the various issues just now, you included the abduction issue. Am I correct in understanding that Japan has already communicated to the North Korean side the issues Japan wants to take up, and that the North Korean side has agreed to them?

Minister Gemba: I cannot disclose such exchanges. I will say that we will be discussing a wide range of the various issues between Japan and North Korea, and the Japanese side considers that the abduction issue will be naturally included in the agenda items. We will decide on the agenda items during the preliminary consultation, and after that I hope to quickly convene the plenary consultation.

Sugimoto, Sankei Shimbun: What are the prospects of taking up the abduction issue during negotiations with North Korea and achieving some progress? Also, how will you respond if North Korea won’t take up the issue, or no progress is seen even if the issue is brought up?

Minister Gemba: I cannot make any predictions about the results of the consultation. I will just say that I will take a firm stance and act resolutely on the abduction issue, and that I consider it as the most important issue.

Yokota, Mainichi Newspapers: I believe that this will be the first consultation between the governments of Japan and North Korea since the start of the Kim Jong-un administration. Do you have the sense that this administration is different from that of Kim Jong-il, and do you have expectations that we are seeing something new?

Minister Gemba: Of course, we conduct various analyses about the new system in North Korea, but I would like to refrain from commenting on intentions of the North Korean side by guess. In addition, since this will be the first time negotiations in four years, we made a decision that it is an appropriate time to discuss the various issues between Japan and North Korea including the abduction issue, given that the Red Cross societies have requested the involvement of each government.

Higashioka, Asahi Shimbun: In terms of the policy of the Japanese Government for the abduction issue, a working level agreement was made in August 2008 that Japan would relax some sanctions on North Korea in exchange for a reinvestigation into the abduction issue by North Korea. I wonder if the basis of discussion during the preliminary consultation and the plenary consultation will be to request the reinvestigation from the North Korean side. Or do you plan to create a new agreement, detached from the 2008 agreement?

Minister Gemba: I have answered this many times in front of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. I cannot yet make any predictions related to the outcome of the consultation. As I said earlier, I recognize the abduction issue as the most important issue, and I will take a firm stance and act resolutely on it.

Higashioka, Asahi Shimbun: I believe that within the range of the various issues, there are issues such as the remains issue discussed between the Red Cross societies, the issue of visiting gravesites, and the abduction issue. Outside of that, what issues do you expect you will discuss?

Minister Gemba: I would like to refrain from saying anything concrete right now, but there is a wide-range of possibilities. For this reason, we will convene the preliminary consultation on August 29, and during the preliminary consultation I would like to decide on the agenda item for the plenary consultation.

Yokota, Mainichi Shimbun: Have you received any instructions from the Prime Minister about this issue? And regarding communication with the U.S., did you inform the U.S. ahead of time?

Minister Gemba: I of course communicate with the Prime Minister about this issue on a daily basis. And also we keep in close contact with the United States.

Hanamura, TV Asahi: What kind of communication have you had with the Republic of Korea?

Minister Gemba: While there are a variety of issues, we consider that there is a need to cooperate with the Republic of Korea on this issue. So we are in contact with them.

3. Japan-ROK relations

Higashioka, Asahi Shimbun: President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak has said today that though His Majesty the Emperor wants to visit the Republic of Korea he should visit those who died in the ROK independence movement and apologize from the bottom of his heart. He said that His Majesty needed to offer an apology before he visits the ROK. What do you think about this?

Minister Gemba: I am aware of such a news report, but I have not heard of such a remark.

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