Cablegate: Media Reaction Q North Korea - Tokyo

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UNCLAS TOKYO 005340

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION Q NORTH KOREA - TOKYO

LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning papers front-paged an
announcement by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and
Transport that average land prices in the nation's three
largest cities Q Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya Q had as of
July 1 risen 0.4 percent in residential areas and 3.6
percent in commercial areas compared with the previous
year, the first such rise since 1990.

1. "North Korean Nuclear Program: Sanctions Will Only
Continue" The moderate Tokyo Shimbun editorialized
(9/19): "...It has been one year since North Korea
pledged in a joint statement at the six-party talks to
abandon its nuclear program. However, Pyongyang has since
refused to even attend the talks, making progress on the
nuclear issue more elusive than ever. During their summit
in Washington, President Bush and South Korean President
Roh agreed on the need for a peaceful solution to the
DPRK's nuclear and missile issues and to cooperate toward
a quick resumption of the six-party talks....

2. "The biggest reason for the standstill is, of course,
the US financial sanctions imposed on North Korea one
year ago.... These sanctions have dealt a major blow to
an economy that was already on the brink of collapse....
Citing the sanctions, Pyongyang has refused to come back
to the talks and also shot off seven ballistic missiles
in early July, including an intermediate-range Taepodong-
2. The response from the international community was
reflected in a UNSC resolution condemning the launches
that was passed unanimously.... North Korea's saber-
rattling diplomacy no longer works.... Pyongyang needs to
realize that returning to the six-party talks is the only
way out of the current impasse."

SCHIEFFER

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