Taking into account and moving beyond events such as 9/11, Pyongyang Declaration on September 17, abductions by North Korea, the new military strategy of US and the nuclear issue, how should we think about the future Asian order?
Professor Kang Sangjung addressed these matters in a lecture on May 31. Professor Kang argued that regionalism should be revived anew from among Japanese Koreans (zainichi kankokujin and zainichi chosenjin) and urged that this new regionalism should have a North-East Asian Common House,Eframework that would place the Korean peninsula at the center. The perspective to achieve this is a critical view that recognizes that pre-war Asianism is dead, and that offers a vision transcending nationalism. It would be helpful to create a multilateral framework to resolve the North Korea problem, and a Pyongyang DeclarationEbased on this vision would be of great value.
However, since the hard line policy of the United States is connected to a decline in US influence because of the coexistence of North and South Korea, there are interests that desire a continuation of the North Korea crisis. On the other hand, North Korea is exhausted and can hardly withstand any more pressure, so there is concern that an unexpected accident could occur. Accordingly, if the US promises non-aggression and North Korea in turn promises to abandon its nuclear development, progress in Japan-North Korea negotiations can become a practical prescription.
Thus, for this purpose, it is necessary that Japan change its media broadcasts. Because of September 17, and because North Korea has admitted the facts of the abductions, Japan has increased the North Korea bashing in its broadcasts. Broadcasts of this nature will be an obstacle to progress in negotiations between Japan and North Korea.