North Korea's nuclear development program

The six-way talks are the first at which representatives of the countries directly involved in the peace process on the Korean Peninsula will all be in the same room. The meeting is an opportunity to press North Korea to completely give up its nuclear development program and overhaul its foreign policy.

Preliminary negotiations have not gone smoothly, however. Japan, the United States and South Korea are not in accord on the issue of the Bush administration signing a nonaggression treaty, as requested by North Korea in exchange for abandoning its nuclear program. Also in doubt is whether the United States and North Korea ... will have meaningful dialogue.

In addition to the nuclear issue, Tokyo has said it will raise the abduction issue.

It is important that Japan-North Korea discussions are not held independently of the six-way meeting. If bilateral negotiations take place when top officials from the United States, China, South Korea, and Russia are present, it will present the perfect opportunity to press North Korea to change its attitude. North Korea should understand it will be further alienated from the world community if it doesn't play ball at these talks.

-- Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo