북한의 국가전략과 북일관계

Abstract

This paper discusses North Korea’s National Strategy and North Korea-Japan Relations. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, North Korea faced with international isolation and economic despair. The diplomatic normalization talks with Japan were one of the means that North Korea chose to overcome these difficulties. Japan would pay ‘amity funds’ to North Korea through diplomatic normalization these were funds that North Korea needed it to reconstruct its economy. From the period of January 1991 to November 1992, there were 8 diplomatic normalization talks held between Japan and North Korea. However, North Korea-Japan diplomatic normalization failed due to disagreements between the two countries the issue of retribution of past wrongs by Japan was a primary issue for North Korea, and the nuclear issue was a primary matter for Japan. After the North Korea-Japan diplomatic normalization was ruptured, North Korea’s foreign policy has centered on negotiating nuclear issues with the United States. After Kim Jung-Il’s official inauguration in 1998, North Korea renewed its enthusiasm in improving the relationship with Japan. Kim Jung-Il practiced the foreign policy toward Japan based on “military-first politics”. In 2001, the North Korea-Japan summit meeting was held for the first time after the World War II. As a result of the talks, the “North Korea-Japan Pyongyang Declaration” was announced, which suggested a protocol to resolve conflicting views between North Korea and Japan regarding nuclear issues, kidnappings, and the retribution of past wrongs. Unfortunately, the relationship between North Korea and Japan has reached a deadlock again due to public opinion in Japan regarding North Korea’s involvement in kidnapping practices. Japan has made several requests for North Korea resolve this issue by returning all kidnapped people, getting at the root of kidnapping, ending kidnapping practices and punishing individuals involved in these practices. As a result, Japan has taken sanctions against North Korea. However, North Korea has insisted that the kidnapping issue was solved since Kim Jung-Il made an apology and promised to prevent kidnapping from happening again. Kim Jung-Il also returned all the kidnapped people to Japan. Instead, North Korea insists Japan settles past grievances that occurred in Korean history. Despite of these conflicts, North Korea still needs amity funds from Japan. Also, Japan understands there is little possibility of North Korea fully making up the kidnapping issue as requested by Japan.