Envoy slaps Kan's N. Korea policy, comprehensive approach+

PYONGYANG, Oct. 12 Kyodo -
A senior North Korean official Tuesday criticized Japan's policy toward
Pyongyang and Prime Minister Naoto Kan's call for ''comprehensively addressing
abduction, nuclear and missile issues'' with the country.
''(North) Korea-Japan relations did not improve because the previous Liberal
Democratic Party-led government crafted a wrong (North) Korean policy with this
comprehensive approach,'' Song Il Ho, ambassador for normalization talks with
Japan, said in an interview.
''But the Democratic Party of Japan-led government (that came to power last
year) follows that policy. Relations will not improve in such circumstances,''
he said.
It was the first time a senior Pyongyang official has commented on Japan's
North Korea policy outlined in Kan's address in the Oct. 1 opening of the
extraordinary Diet session, his first policy speech since shuffling his Cabinet
last month.
Song, meanwhile, confirmed North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's third son Jong Un
is his successor, saying leader Kim is vigorously guiding the nation, but
''revolution does not end in one generation.''
The election of Kim Jong Un as a vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
Central Military Commission at a party conference in late September
''represents the will of our party, military and people to take over our great
achievement of revolution and try to complete it beyond generations,'' the
ambassador said.
Song said the conference did produce a new foreign policy, suggesting North
Korea's stance toward Japan and the United States and Pyongyang's nuclear
policy will remain unchanged, at least in the short term.
He criticized Japan for imposing sanctions on North Korea, oppressing the
General Association of Korean Residents in Japan known as Chongryon and
excluding pro-Pyongyang schools for Korean residents in Japan from a tuition
waiver program for high school students.
''With Japan imposing sanctions and putting pressure (on the North) and
blocking people's exchanges between the two countries, how could you possibly
build confidence and solve outstanding issues?'' he asked while urging Japan to
remove sanctions and other punitive measures as a first step to improve
relations.
Song said as the two countries improve ties and build confidence, they ''can
naturally solve questions'' about the North's abduction of Japanese nationals,
though he did not elaborate.
''We have admitted the abduction and taken every possible and sincere measure
to address it,'' he said. ''But Japan has only grown suspicious and created all
the obstacles between the two countries.''
Touching on the nuclear issue, Song repeated Pyongyang's call for lifting U.N.
sanctions so the country can take part in the six-party talks on its nuclear
programs on an ''equal footing'' with other members.
''We have said we will attend the talks if the gate is open,'' he said.
The ambassador indicated North Korea may send a new chief delegate if the
multilateral denuclearization talks were resumed.
Song said of the six countries, only North Korea and the United States, or plus
China, deserve the right to take part in talks to conclude a peace treaty to
formally end the 1950-1953 Korean War.
North Korea wants U.N. sanctions lifted and peace talks with the United States
before it rejoins the six-way talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan,
Russia and the United States.
In late September, North Korea promoted Kim Kye Gwan to first vice foreign
minister, succeeding Kang Sok Ju, who became a vice premier.
==Kyodo
2010-10-13 00:47:02


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