Tokyo mulls aid for N Korea flood victims

By David Pilling in Tokyo and Anna Fifield in Seoul

Published: August 29 2007 16:39 | Last updated: August 29 2007 16:39

Japan is considering sending aid to North Korea following devastating floods this month, in a sign that the government of Shinzo Abe, prime minister, may be prepared to soften its stance towards Pyongyang.

The move could help ease tensions between the long- time foes that have at times interfered with talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

Nobutaka Machimura, Japan’s newly appointed foreign minister, was quoted in the Japanese press on Wednesday as saying Tokyo was prepared to consider a request from the United Nations to give aid to North Korea.

“Given the magnitude of the disaster, we should consider whether everything should be linked to the abduction issue,” he was reported as saying.

Japan suspended all humanitarian aid to North Korea in 2004, citing lack of progress on Tokyo’s demand that Pyongyang reveal the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

“In some past instances. . . Japan extended emergency aid regardless of the recipient’s ideology and social system,” Mr Machi-mura said.

This month’s floods have left at least 600 North Koreans dead and 100,000 homeless, sparking a huge humanitarian appeal. South Korea is sending Won45bn ($47.8m) of aid direct to North Korea, while the US has given two humanitarian agencies $100,000 to buy blankets, shelter materials and water for flood victims.

Under Mr Abe, who came to power last September after pressing the abduction issue, Tokyo has pushed for stringent sanctions against Pyongyang and refused to participate in any economic support until there is progress on the issue.

Takao Toshikawa, a political analyst, said of Mr Machimura’s comments: “He might be indicating a shift in Japan’s North Korean policy.” The new foreign minister was a firm supporter of close relations with Washington, Mr Toshikawa said, and might be showing a greater willingness to support the US’s new efforts to deal with Pyongyang.

Japan’s sentiment was received positively by North Korea. Song Il-ho, the official in charge of talks with Japan, said he saw “some progress” in Japan’s attitude. The two sides are due to meet in Mongolia next week for bilateral talks on normalising relations, a side-discussion to the six-party nuclear talks.

Mr Song also acknowledged remarks by Mr Abe this week saying the two countries must resolve issues relating to Japan’s 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean peninsula, saying: “It was the first reference to the settlement of the past and I personally evaluate this in a good way.”

Many diplomats in Tokyo argue that Japan has painted itself into a corner with its uncompromising attitude over the abduction issue. The attitude has sometimes left Tokyo isolated at the six-party talks, and South Korea in particular has been lobbying Japan to put the issue aside while they seek broader gains.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007

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