Keep up pressure on North Korea

The Daily Yomiuri, Asia News Network, Tokyo

We should not be surprised by the stringency of the inspection of the North Korean cargo-passenger ship Man Gyong Bong-92, as the government only implemented measures that are fitting under relevant laws.

Authorities carried out a strict inspection of the Man Gyong Bong on Monday when it made a port call at Niigata-Nishi Port in Niigata, and subjected crewmen, passengers and their baggage to rigorous immigration checks. The Man Gyong Bong has been suspected by experts of complicity in suspicious activities.

According to maritime experts, the vessel's safety equipment is not up to international standards. Following Monday's stringent inspection, the government ordered the ship's owners to implement five corrective measures, including the installation of emergency signs along escape routes.

North Korea and the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan are offended, saying the strict inspection was a provocative action against North Korea. This assertion is irrelevant.

As a result of Japan having adopted a position of dealing with Man Gyong Bong in strict compliance with the law, the ship's port call was delayed markedly from the initially scheduled date of early June.

The excessive reactions to Monday's development on the part of North Korea is a result of Pyongyang's bewilderment over Japan's resolute stance.

The Man Gyong Bong is scheduled to make several visits to Japan in September, and the government should continue its policy of conducting strict inspections on the ship and monitoring its movements.

Such inspections should not be limited to the Man Gyong Bong alone. About 1,400 North Korean vessels dock at Japanese ports every year, and it would be inappropriate if inspections on these vessels were to be neglected as the result of extra attention being paid to the Man Gyong Bong.

Although the recent inspection has ended, suspicions about the Man Gyong Bong remain.

It was discovered, through investigations by public safety authorities, that the ship transported such machinery as a jet mill, which can be converted for missile development. It also was discovered that North Korean agents operating in Japan were briefed onboard the ship.

At a U.S. Senate panel session, a former North Korean engineer testified that the vessel had transported missile parts from Japan to North Korea.

Many people harbor reservations about granting permission to the ship to enter Japanese ports.

The issue is related to national security, and the current relevant laws should be reviewed. Should they be found lacking, the government needs to study the possibility of drafting new legislation.

There are moves within the Liberal Democratic Party to explore ways to formulate new regulations. These discussions need to be accelerated.

Six-party talks on North Korea's suspected nuclear development program are set to begin Wednesday. When they do, North Korea may present demands on how it thinks Japan should treat the Man Gyong Bong.

It is important for Japan to express clearly its stance on the issue and convey its message to North Korea.

Problems between Japan and North Korea are not limited to those related to the Man Gyong Bong. In addition, there is not only the nuclear issue but also the one concerning Japanese abducted by North Korea.

Japan should make clear its position that unless North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons development program and settles the issue of Japanese abductees, there can be no economic assistance to North Korea.

As with the government's response to the Man Gyong Bong, a resolute stance will prove meaningful at the upcoming six-nation talks.