The primary purpose of this study is to explain the policy and responses of Japan's domestic political powers in connection with North Korea's suggestions of normalization of diplomatic relations. The secondary purpose is to analyze Japan's policy on ...
The primary purpose of this study is to explain the policy and responses of Japan's domestic political powers in connection with North Korea's suggestions of normalization of diplomatic relations. The secondary purpose is to analyze Japan's policy on North Korea and the dynamics among the domestic political powers involving Japan's policy on North Korea.
During about 50 years of post war, North Korea had formally proposed 3 times (by A Deputy Prime Minister Sung Chul Park in 1972, and Secretary Yong Soon Kim in 1990, Foreign Minister Ii Nam in 1995) normalization of diplomatic relations to Japan. Government·LDP and SDPJ have positively pursued the improvement in the relations with North Korea in connection with the fact that North Korea's propositions on the normalization of diplomatic relations were made in the background of world situation of an easing of political tensions.
Nonetheless there was significant difference between two parties' policy on North Korea resulting from domestic security policy. For last 55 years of the party system, Government and LDP carried out the interchange with North Korea in the frame of making much of friendly relations with South Korea under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. On the other hand, SDJP consistently pursued the policy in favor of North Korea against Government·LDP's pro-American political line through asserting abrogation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. This fact tells that Japan's policy on North Korea has been built on the confrontation of one domestic party's poitical line against another's.