EU and Japan Urge N Korea to Abandon Nuke Program

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　　Japan and the EU have urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile program, despite its willingness to return to the six-party talks.

 

　　Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera says his country would never tolerate North Korea's nuclear program, calling it a serious threat to peace and security.

 

　　"North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile program is a serious threat, undermining the peace and security of the international community. Japan, in close coordination¹ with the United States and South Korea, strongly calls on North Korea to comply with the obligations of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to halt acts of provocation²."

 

　　Onodera made the comments at the annual security meeting of defense³ ministers from the Asia Pacific region, in Singapore.

 

　　Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, is attending the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue for the first time.

 

　　She also wants North Korea, or the DPRK, to abandon its nuclear program.

 

　　"I see the DPRK nuclear test as a big challenge to the global non-proliferation regime and the violation⁴ of their obligation not to produce or test nuclear weapons, so we're working with our partners to build a firm and unified⁵ response aimed at demonstrating to the DPRK that there are consequences of continued violations⁶."

 

　　About a week ago, a North Korean envoy⁷ told Chinese leaders that Pyongyang was willing to take "positive actions" to ensure peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

 

　　But Choe Ryong-hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said nothing about abandoning the nuclear program.

 

　　China has been pushing for a return to talks after weeks of threats from Pyongyang following new UN sanctions over North Korea's third nuclear test in February.

 

　　The six-party aid-for-disarmament talks involved the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and host China.

 

　　The negotiation⁸ collapsed⁹ in 2009 when North Korea walked away from the talks.

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