Oddness of 'Kim' episode masks its gravity
Oddness of 'Kim' episode masks its gravity
TOKYO: A man believed to be Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, attempted to enter Japan illegally at Narita airport Tuesday only to have his attempt foiled by immigration authorities. The supposed younger Kim was deported to Beijing Friday after three days of detention.
The man reportedly possessed a forged Dominican Republic passport and was accompanied by two women and a child. Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama decided to deport the four in line with ordinary procedures, saying the ministry "could not confirm their identity" after all.
Kim Jong-nam is cited as the leading candidate to succeed Kim Jong-il as general secretary of the North Korean Workers Party. If the deported man really is the younger Kim, then why would such a man need to enter this country illegally? The man reportedly said his visit was for sightseeing. If so, why did he use a forged passport?
We are not satisfied with a government explanation that only says it "could not confirm the identity." In that the incident made major headlines, many people also suspect the government's explanation.
First of all, the Justice Ministry is accountable for presenting the truth of the incident to the people without brushing aside their suspicions.
Even if the decision to deport was made after sufficient interrogation, the question remains as to the man's response to the decision. Also, where and how did he obtain the fake passport?
If the man is indeed a North Korean VIP, it is hard to think that he was trying to move around here on his own. There must have been a group of people in Japan who would have taken care of him he had managed to enter the country.
The forged passport reportedly showed that the man entered Japan twice last year. We wonder if a thorough probe was made into where the man planned to stay after achieving an illegal entry.
Immigration authorities should clarify why they did not lodge a complaint with police against the man on suspicion of illegal entry.
The decision to deport the man to Beijing followed three-way consultations involving the Justice Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the National Police Agency. According to some government sources, the case was viewed in a political light to prevent it from developing into an impediment to the resumption of stalled negotiations between Japan and North Korea on normalizing diplomatic relations. If so, the government must have thought that a North Korean VIP was involved.
Progress in Japanese-North Korean negotiations for the normalization of ties is definitely an important item on the country's foreign affairs agenda. It must be remembered, however, that there has been no breakthrough in clarifying the alleged abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.
Despite Japan's considerate behavior, there is no guarantee that North Korea will extend similar consideration in connection with the kidnapping cases.
North Korea has not taken responsibility for the 1987 bombing of a South Korean jetliner -- which killed 115 people -- and the 1999 intrusion of two North Korean spy boats into Japan's territorial waters.
Although we understand delicate issues are involved, we must point out that it is important to continue to adopt a just and rational attitude toward North Korea. Without such a stance, there can be no genuine progress in Japanese-North Korean relations.
-- The Yomiuri Shimbun