U.S. expects Japan to play significant role in N Korea economic aid: Hagerty

Sorry, those expectations will not be met. Japan has to get its own finances in order first (like make sure there is a pension for me when I'm 65 in about 25 years). And it was the US and Russia that divided Korea into north and south for their own political/power convenience. The US and Russia should provide any money the North needs, not Japan.

What else is new? However in this case I would say that if the US expects Japan to pay, then Japan should get it&s money,'s worth out of it. No cash until the abductee issue is put to rest!

No doubt Kim wants to remain the supreme leader. While also keeping a status to his country similar to that King Bhumibol held to Thailand.

Kim doesn't have to force worship though, his citizens may be brainwashed, but they're not Stupid. If he becomes the reason for North Korea to open trade and allow his citizens to prosper, they will have endless gratitude for that.

Kim has done a lot of crap, but he didn't start the state North Korea is in, in fact, after his rocky start (which may have been to claim his leadership internally), he's increasingly done more than any of his ancestors did during their reign. He's met with South Korean President, US President, traveled to Singapore and really put an effort in.

Let's hope he doesn't stop now. Keep going Kim while you're on a role. The horrid things you've done (your brother) won't be forgotten, but, if you pull 25 million people out of misery, You'll sure as heck done your part to making right.

Yes Japan, South Korea and China will definitely need to help getting NK on its feet, but realistically. North Korea couldn't have been placed better. Its placed between two economical powerhouses (China, South Korea): And its Southern neighbor, despite their rivalry, does have somewhat a soft heart, at least for the North's citizens, they're brothers after all. Truly the same people.

I hope for prosperity for the North Korean people, even if they don't reunify with Seoul anytime soon.

Heck, Trump was even labeled "supreme leader" of his country on NK national TV. Even if many disagree if Trump is worth of such a title, that's the highest praise a U.S president has ever been given, ever, in NK.

Trump thinks of Japan as an ATM!

U.S. President Donald Trump said Japan and South Korea -- key U.S. allies in Asia -- are prepared to help North Korea "very greatly" with the cost of denuclearization, while the United States would not have to help with the costs.”

Ugh, and do we have to give up our pension system now to fund this? Last 8 checked we are in debt.

Japan realistically can’t until the abductee issue is resolved.

South Korea and China are the two most logical countries to build up N.Korea since they both share land borders. That's pretty much how it will end up.

You would want to watch out for Chinese loans to N.Korea and make sure they don't get them on that particular hook.

It is important Japan plays a second tier role after those two along with the U.S in order to normalize relations.

Thats presuming all this works out and full denuke has occured

As in 5 years, at least, from now.

I read reports that Trump wants full denuke in 2.5 years. Experts suggests it will take 5 to 15 years

Bit of a gap there dont you think...

Japan is the most logical partner given its proximity to help with the economic development of North Korea.

No. That might be ideal from an American perspective, but what is occurring is precisely the opposite: China is absorbing North Korea. After all, from ancient times, Korea was subservient to China, and the last thing China wants is to see American influence extend to the Yalu.

I'm not saying this is a bad thing: geopolitics have a natural equilibrium which, when disturbed, can lead to war. But just look at the photo. Japan will have zero influence in North Korea. The only question is whether and to what extent China allows South Korea to.

As long as hearing many news after the summit, complete denuclearization seems to fail as N Korea never abandons all nukes because nukes are last political card to get more money. And it seems that Japan will not pay any penny to N Korea as long as abducted victims are not returned. Nothing will change.

Since the North korean nuclear program was aimed at the US, it would seem logical that the US pay to denuclearize NK, not Japan or South Korea. Trump still thinks he is the leader of the free world because a few countries still kowtow to it.

America forfeited the rank of world leader the day Trump was elected. Trump has done everything he possibly can to destabilize world trade, to upend the world order and to weaken America.

The current "wave" of peace flowing from NK was initiated by Kim not Trump.

Basically Japan and South korea should follow their own instincts when dealing with North Korea and not "be told" by America what to do. Remember at all times that America's current leader is an agent of chaos, and not to be trusted or followed.

Trump has ambitions of becoming an autocrat with his people all believing he is the best and doing exactly as he wants with no freedom of thought or action. Trumps recent comments back that up.

Invest in North Korea if it makes good business sense and if it will be profitable. Otherwise stay away.

It seems that Kim Jorg Un, Moon, and Trump know and well that Japan will not pay any penny to N Korea unless innocent abductees are returned. Abe and former PMs have been insisting it for decades. I just wonder who divided one Korea into two. At least Japan did not.

Isn’t it incredible there was a real sense that war was imminent only a few months ago. The world is moving fast! So corporations will rush in to “sponsor” what was previously a brutal and murderous regime, but now all is forgiven and open for business. I guess that’s progress right? From hell to a little less like hell. Amazing times.

It looks like the worst-case scenario for Japan is rapidly becoming a reality where Japan would be forced to foot the bill for North’s denuclearization and economic development while Kim dawdles and procrastinates, and the end result would be a fiercely anti-Japanese and nuclear-armed unified Korea.

Japan gets the bill and the US gets the applause and its desired goal. It's really nice to get what you wish and make others to pay for it.

as long as US president is Trump. Hope no second term.

So where are all the "Japan is irrelevant" posters? This is exactly why both the U.S. and South Korea have always supported resolving the abductions issue, something that North Korea itself has stated it was prepared to discuss.

Japan needs contribute more to rebuilding roads, airports, ports in north korea for later US companies to use just like it was made in china.

Yes, yes good partner!

japan should demand abductees and remains before giving a dime

Is that a change in your usual "40 years too late" stance? I agree with you here though.

Why should Japan invest in Korea? north or south?

NK may well have claims for reparations for real or imagined depredations by Japan going back to the days of Hideyoshi's time. In South Korea they still complain about those times. Apart from the "Comfort Women" issue.

...it is their sanctions that caused the problems with the DPRK economy.

Well, that and the donkey policy on agricultural machinery....

Why should Japan pay? It even does not take part in the negotiations on the denuclearization issue. North Korean nukes are, first and foremost, the US problem, second for South Korea, and only then, distant third, for Japan. The deeply entreched in the minds of US politicians idea that Japan must pay for US foreign activity is deeply flawed. Pay for yourselves. Japan can provide some aid, but only if it in Japan's interests, and only after the abduction issue is resolved.

What does resolution look like? The families will never be satisfied, and quite rightly.

Japan doesn't think hundreds of abductees are all alive but some of them, a few are still alive if their age is around 60. They must have more important work and better life than locals there. If N Korea says no other alive abductees, it means they buried all to shut up their mouths, so no money given forever whatever.

only after the abduction issue is resolved.

What does resolution look like? The families will never be satisfied, and quite rightly.

I am not falling for this smoke and mirrors con game that the little fat boy is playing. This is all an act to buy more time to finish his nuke delivery system. Didn't trust him before and don't trust him after his last act. Oh, and for Trump to expect Japan to pay for this and not help out when it was the US and Russia that started this pissing match in the first place is rich.

Meanwhile, Trump is letting Puerto Rico go to waste.

Let us look at some hard numbers.

The cost of reunification of the two koreas would be between 1 trillion USD to 3 trillion USD. Let us take the average of the two estimates which would be 2 trillion USD. So the cost of rebuilding North Korea would be 2 trillion USD. South Korea's foreign exchange reserves are at 380 billion USD and South Korea is a 2 trillion USD economy. North Korea is a 40 Billion USD economy. Lets put that number in perspective. Apple computer has 285 billion USD in cash. See how small North Korea's economy really is? The GDP per capita is $33,200 in South Korea and $1,800 in the North,If you compare those numbers to West and East Germany, it's a completely different ballgame -- the [per capita GDP] ratio there was estimated between 7 or 10 to 1 as opposed to 40 to 1 in the case of South and North Korea.

So it is really obvious that South Korea alone could not afford to pay for reunification. Another issue to think about is that the corporate sector as well as the household sector in South Korea is highly leverage. So South Korea will need help and a lot of it, if it wants to reunite with the North. What should Japan do?

In my opinion, Japan should not spend one yen on the Koreans. Japan helped rebuild South Korea. What did Japan get? The finger from South Korea. Japan helped rebuild China. What Japan did Japan get? The finger from China.

Let the South Koreans pay for reunification with their fellow Koreans. While South Korea is rebuilding the North. Japan could invest in South East Asia and India, where Japan is liked and respected. Japan could forge a great partnership with South EAST Asia and India.

Fat slob.

Zichi:

Are you quoting GDP or GDP per capita? Either way, the latter figures look too low.

The aircraft in the background is a U.S.-made/China-owned Jumbo Jet (Boeing 747) which might have been leased to or provided free of charge by China. Before the Singapore summit, it was a hot topic in the media who would shoulder enormous hotel bills for Leader Kim Jong Un and his delegation.

The picture shows he received a hero's welcome back home.

At any rate, I can't help but pray that genuine peace would come to the Korean Peninsula.

@Ricky

I guess that’s progress, right?

Or unbridled capitalism....

Thinking of the ballot box, Abe refers to the abductees as the top issue for Japan. But in strategic terms the top issues for Japan are the short and medium range missiles plus the nuke warheads plus the chemical weapons plus the biological weapons. Of these, Trump has focused only on the nuke warheads, with a passing reference to the abductees. The DPRK is yet to provide a declared list of anything, although it considers the abductee issue dealt with in the past. Still a long way to go before there is any meaningful progress for Japan.

@Meiyouwenti

It looks like the worst-case scenario for Japan is rapidly becoming a reality where Japan would be forced to foot the bill for North’s denuclearization and economic development

Exactly. Japan gets the bill and the US gets the applause and its desired goal. It's really nice to get what you wish and make others to pay for it.

@simon g

What does resolution look like?

First, comprehensive explanation of the fate of every abducted person would be nice, not the usual "we already told you everything" answer.

as long as US president is Trump

No, unfortunately it's a long deplorable tradition. Japan had to fork out billions for the 1991 Gulf war, then again billions to stop the North Korean nuclear program in mid-90s, then again billions for Iraq and Afghanistan. Whoever the US president is, Japan always bankrolls US adventures. No wonder Japan's finances are such a mess.

No, please gods, NO!!!

As to abduction issue, Kim Jorg un's father apologized very quietly only once before former PM Koizumi in N Korea in 2002, but he has not apologize each victim's family and has not compensate any for them at all. Of course Kim Jorg Un has done nothing yet so far, but making a lot of nuke missiles years secretly. Wonder how Japan can pay money to such a mob dictator? Probably money after clearly complete denuclearization is done.

@Asakaze

That is war and Japan could not dispatch SDF soldiers there at all (because of law), so that is why Japan had to pay only money to support allies, however denuclearization is completely different because Japan plans to dispatch engineers and support technology to (dismantle)denuclearize their nukes there, of course need much money for that. It seems other countries has to pay some money fairly for NK's denuclearization.

Japan owed the North Koreans, their colonial rule was very brutal. They should made colonial days compensation! This is their historic responsibilities.

Japan does not have the money though perhaps if Japan kicked out the freeloading US military...

South Korea and China will not be happy Japan invest in North Korea.

How about bring 500,000 workers to Japan on special visas.? Construction, shipbuilding, agriculture etc.

So where are all the "Japan is irrelevant" posters? This is exactly why both the U.S. and South Korea have always supported resolving the abductions issue,

Good lesson on how to spin the fact that you are paying the kidnappers, 30 years after the abduction to resolve the issue, as a positive.

Why not just pay trillions of yen back when the hostages were first taken? I think there was a tough "we will never pay" macho bravado by Abe in 2007 before he had his famous bowel trouble and resigned. Interesting Abe can ignore the abduction of sex slaves in WWII by Japan as "inconclusive" but be so clear when Japan is the victim. I seriously hope the families of the abductees get solid closure but Abe has been fumbling this ball for over 15 yrs.

So, the US has said it raised the issue twice, which I highly doubt (or else Trump said something like, "Look, Shinzo is probably going to raise that old issue again, but just ignore him... you'll get your aid."), but what was the response? They said they said a lot of things, but they have ZERO down on paper, while reversely committing a lot of things and promising to NK. Trump handed Kim Jung-Un, a brutal dictator whom Trump now calls a friend and salutes to, total victory. Where once a dictatorship was on the brink of collapse and the nation closer than ever towards internal rebellion being fomented, Kim is now a hero.

Well done, guys. And yes, Abe will now pay for that, too, without ANY progress on the abduction issue.

billions to stop the North Korean nuclear program in mid-90s

South Korean paid 70%. Japan paid 10%. USA offered much oil, not money.

japan should demand abductees and remains before giving a dime

Since Trump is doing all of the talking, the US should pay the expenses. After all it is their sanctions that caused the problems with the DPRK economy.

Im looking forward to Japan being a partner to North Korea. Japan will fund and build roads, shinkansen and airports. Most impirtantly, Japanese factories will open branches. Toyota, other Auto industry, Kirin, electrical and hi-tech companies and food manufacturing. They will provide jobs for the average citizen, and lead to a booming economy.

This will be duscussed in the Kim-san- PM Abe Summit. NK has turned new page under Kim-san, who is a ruler Japan can become a real partner with unlike his father or grandfather.