Japan Urges North Korea to Act toward Denuclearization

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government urged North Korea Wednesday to act toward denuclearization, following Tuesday's announcement of an agreement to hold an inter-Korean summit next month. "For meaningful dialogue to happen, it's extremely important that North Korea takes concrete steps toward denuclearization," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference. The policy of raising pressure to the maximum by every measure to make North Korea abandon its nuclear and missile programs is "unshakable," Suga said, stressing that Japan, the United States and South Korea will continue to cooperate closely on the matter. Suga also said Tokyo and Seoul are arranging a visit to Japan by Suh Hoon, head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, for a briefing on his recent trip to Pyongyang, Suga said. Suh was one of South Korean special envoys who held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their two-day Pyongyang visit ended on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters separately, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera pointed to a need to carefully analyze the intentions behind the North's agreement to hold a summit with the South. "What we mustn't forget is that North Korea has continued its nuclear development while repeatedly promising to give it up," Onodera said. END