Next in our series of how regional players view the upcoming summits between the Koreas and the U.S. and North Korea,... we take a closer look at Japan.
Having maintained intense sanctions on the regime.... and having no diplomatic or economic relations whatsoever with Pyongyang,... there's concern in Tokyo that Japan has been frozen out of the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Min-ji reports.
Japan -- within range of North Korea's short-to-mid-range missiles -- has been maintaining a hardline stance towards Pyongyang.
No trade, no personnel exchanges. And that has put Tokyo out of the picture.
"There have been reports that Japan is being sidelined in the latest diplomatic developments regarding North Korea. But Japan is stepping up efforts of its own, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visiting the U.S… and there is also speculation that a Tokyo-Pyongyang summit may be in the works."
Tokyo has brushed off concerns of so-called "Japan passing" -- saying the idea that the country is being left out is not true.
Prime Minister Abe has stressed that close communication is taking place between the key players... and that Tokyo's approach towards North Korea is closely coordinated with other regional powers.
In the U.S., Abe got assurance from President Donald Trump that any deal regarding the North abandoning its missiles,... should not just cover ICBMs,... but also short-to-mid range missiles that can reach Japan.
"We could say pressure on the regime has brought it to talks. And Japan has been at the forefront there. But when it comes to the talks themselves, as Japan is not part of them, we do need to get information from the parties that are involved,... as the issue affects our security interests. At this point, President Trump needs to take the lead,... and Japan will likely support whatever the U.S. decides to do. Even though the talks are scheduled, we will probably maintain maximum pressure."
In fact, Japan has been calling on both South Korea and the U.S. not to lift sanctions despite the recent sense of optimism.
Given North Korea's past behavior,... there are voices in Japan warning that there needs to be a clear definition of what constitutes denuclearization for concrete outcomes to be achieved.
"There have been many great agreements and treaties in the past. None of the promises were kept. If some sort of compromise is reached this time, there needs to be a system that oversees whether the agreement is being abided by -- for instance we could set time frame, by which goals have to be achieved."
Further down the road,... experts say Japan will have its card to play.
Because in exchange for denuclearization,... the regime will likely have its own demands -- and meeting those demands will require concerted efforts.
"Ensuring the security of the North Korean regime... is not something the U.S. can do alone. This is where South Korea and Japan come in -- to promise the North economic cooperation.
