북한의 군사적 모험주의에 대한 일본의 대응: 탄도 미사일발사와 핵실험에 대한 조치를 중심으로

Abstract

This essay briefly reviews Japan’s response to North Korea’s military adventurism with focus on the North’s most recent ballistic missile launch and nuclear test. The essay first confirms Japan’s policy toward North Korea as a “dialogue and deterrence”-based principle with the objective of “comprehensive solution of the North Korean abduction, nuclear, and missile issues” and then takes a particular look at the deterrence side. The essay points out that Japan’s measures have mainly been focused on denial deterrence capabilities involving ballistic missile defense and maritime security and fully depended on the US, Japan’s only formal ally, and also on non-military trade and financial restrictions or sanctions for punitive deterrence against North Korea’s provocations. By analyzing the Japan’s response to the North’s long-range ballistic missile launch on April 5 and nuclear test on May 25 and also by analyzing policy proposals from Prime Minister’s security advisory group and major political parties including the new ruling coalition parties, the essay concludes that arguments have emerged for strengthening Japan’s own punitive deterrence capabilities in restrained manners but that divergent policy preferences within the new coalition government would likely restrain those arguments from becoming actual policies in the near future.