Seoul warns Japan against going it alone on N Korea

The audacity of the SK government.

Deliberately antagonizing and thumbing its nose at Japanese politicians attempts at dialogue, and now they have the nerve to 'warn' Japan on how it conducts business with NK?

Abe needs a friend, and Kim Jung Eun is a good candidate. They look good together, and they need each other.

Leave Shinzo Abe and Jung Eun Kim alone.

The only two cards that North Korea has to play in any negotiations are the promise to give up it's nuclear program and uniquely with Japan, potential information about the abductees. The idea that NK will simply hand over all information about the abductees in exchange of a reduction of sanctions (which could be reinstated) is very naive.

Japan would do well to listen to South Korea since they have much more experience negotiating with the North and are familiar with all the tricks that NK tries to play.

@M3M3M3:

Japan would do well to listen to South Korea since they have much more experience negotiating with the North and are familiar with all the tricks that NK tries to play.

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Listen to S Korea to get weeekly insult continuously. China has been supporting S Korea more than N Korea now.

No country is really trying to get info or back any of those kidnapped except > Japan.

Japan has to do what it takes and if unilateral give-and-take is what's required then Japan should go for it.

South Korea hasn't and won't lift a finger to help get them back. None of the other countries even want to have the kidnapping victims' plight put on the negotiating table (which is understandable).

So far, the 6 Party Talks have had no success whatsoever against the NK missile tests.

If North Korea produces no results in giving the Japanese back their people then the sanctions will go right back into effect. Japan should give it a shot.

You have to admit that South Korea has more experience than anyone in negotiating with the North. It don't think it hurts to listen.

Also, any country that is still at war with, and shares a land border with NK is probably well within its rights to critque any moves that have the potential to materially change the internationally accepted status quo of sanctions.

SK also wants transparency so that goods covered by the international sanctions are not making it into NK through a back door deal with Japan. Even if you are not a fan of SK, I think you have to agree that it's all very reasonable.

South Korea needs to decide who it wants to be friends with in the 21st century. Japan can do what it likes with it's unilateral sanctions, that's why they are called unilateral sanctions.

This "warning" is a lot like the warning they gave Japan over collective-self-defense.

Japan doesn't want to colonize the Korean peninsula again, stop the ridiculousness.

The sanctions against North Korea on multilateral nuclear issues (UN sanctions) should not be compromised in order to resolve the abduction issue.

The problem for Japan is this deal doesn't cover the who knows how many fishermen that were kidnapped at sea or other people not recognized as missing. According to former North Korean agents, they would take a few guys from their boats and kill the rest, making it look like a "normal" boat accident. They would also kidnap young couples so it would just seem as if they ran off together.

Japan can not and must not give into the demands or deception of NK there are other countries involved in solving the nuclear issue. If Japan think they can go alone then they should expect to fight the war alone should one break out between the two counties.

"And any measures taken by the Japanese government should not hurt international coordination among South Korea, the United States and Japan over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs," it added.

South Korea is one to talk, South Korea is Communist North Korea's 2nd largest trade partner. If South Korea really wants to impose sanctions of the Communist North it should first start by ending any and all trade with it.

Also, South Korea has a very short memory and is a very bad ally. Since President Park took office she has made Japan her personal whipping boy. She declined to meet with Prime Minister Abe and wouldn't even have her diplomats sit down with any representatives from Japan until Japan gave into her demands. But, now that Japan has decided to go at it alone rather than wait for Park to become a reasonable neighbor, South Korea is shocked.

If South Korea doesn't want Japan to lift it's humanitarian sanctions against Communist North Korea, South Korea best start acting like an ally.

But, Park still needs her whipping boy because it wants to stay in good with her CPC overlords. I just wish that the US would wake up move it's troops from South Korea.

South Korea and China have the same issue with Japan over the Japanese occupation of both countries and the horrible treatment to their people. It shown the last few years China and Korea has become very close to each other politically and economically. China realised that being friend to North Korea is not getting them anywhere because the whole world is against North Korea. At the same time, South Korea respected by the world for their economic credential and technology powerhouse the like Samsung, LG, and Hyundai an ally of the United States. At the same time North Korea is a no body pet and the world is totally against her. As things start to heat up China realised they need a friend who have a good reputation on the world stage. Both China & South Korea share the same issue toward the Japanese government over the occupation of their countries during war world 2. Here come perfect partners. Now North Korea feels a big neglected by the big brother “China” North Korea behave just like everyone else, looking for a new friends. You scratch my back I scratch yours. North Korea prepares to talk and help Japan to resolve over the kidnappings of Japanese nationals during the cold war in return Japan will lift trade sanctions against North Korea. It sounds like a fair deal. Somehow, South Korea feels uneasy about the Japanese government dealing with the North Korean. Never let your guard down, good move Japan!

The strength of North Korea lies in its body structure: the whole country is a piece of gelatinous jellyfish where you have problem finding a single vulnerable spot to attack. True Kim Jung Un’s life is important, but his kilometer-deep underground hotel shields him from even the most devastating nuclear assaults. In contrast, none among relevant countries--South Korea, Japan, China, USA--enjoys such advantage: South Korea with its political, financial capital Seoul, its Hangang industry zones; Japan’s Tokyo, its Keihin, Chubu, Hanshin economic areas, China’s Three Gorges Dam, Kwangtung-Shanghai-Chungking industry financial centers, its capital Peking; USA’s White House and Congress, its big cities---any substantial nuclear missile attack of above will set a nation’s national development at least 10 years back. So at the beginning of a brand-new, gradually maturing Cold War II, when it comes to nuclear deterrent, the trigger-happy or button-happy North Korea seems to be holding the key, and Abe’s brand-new 21st century version of “Sun Tzu’s Art of War” seems to be gradually maturing.

The South Korean government has reached Chinese levels of stupidity in their comments. Not because of any intended effort at stupidity but because their positions on several diplomatic issues are contradictory to each other. First they comment that Japan mustn't use it's right of collective defense to the Korean peninsula. Hellooo, who shares a border with North Korea? Who gets their president called a prostitute? Who gets shot at and even killed sometimes? Who is the main adversary of North Korea and whose land do hey want? Hint, it's not Japan. So why in the known universe would Japan unilaterally send troops to the Korean Peninsula under their right of collective defense? The real question that South Korea should be asking is if we asked Japan to send troops to help us, would they after all the WWII crap we've thrown at them? Or how about will Japan attempt to stop the use of US Military assets based in Japan for actions in support of South Korea? Now South Korea says "South Korea warned Japan on Thursday against undermining efforts to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons". HOW in the world can Japan do so, and WHY in the world would Japan do so? Japan has had North Korean missiles fly over it. They have spent considerable time and resources setting up defenses against North Korean missiles. South Korea has put itself into a corner where by supporting China's anti-Japan propaganda war, which happens to coincide with their own whitewashing of pre and post WWII history and the role they played in it, they are wrecking the security alliance which protects their rear ends from North Korea which would be nothing without China. This is why I refrain from eating too many ridiculously hot foods all the time. I find myself not being able to think straight.

Also, South Korea has a very short memory and is a very bad ally.

Understatement of the week. I'm on record as saying Japan should just give it up wrt the abductees. DPRK is known to be run by liars. So I've always wondered what does it profit Japan to keep discussing this matter with a bunch of liars. This butthurt reaction from ROK has answered the question. If it causes problems for Park then I'm all for it.

Japan needs to stay out of the Korea civil war. The southern faction hates Japan with a passion. Deliberate insults month after month, year after year.