Abe, Roh agree on stern response to 'unacceptable' N. Korea nuke

SEOUL (Kyodo) The Japanese and South Korean leaders agreed Monday to take a stern response to North Korea's "unacceptable" nuclear test announcement and to make concerted efforts to demand harsh international measures against the "serious threat" posed to the security of the region and the rest of the world.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a news conference following his meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun in Seoul. KYODO PHOTO

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun also shared the view of overcoming political difficulties in bilateral relations to mend soured ties and replace them with forward-looking ones, they said in respective news conferences.

The two met just hours after North Korea said it had conducted a nuclear test in defiance of international calls for restraint. Abe arrived in Seoul from Beijing in the morning after meeting Chinese leaders Sunday.

Abe, known for being hawkish toward North Korea, said in the news conference he will "immediately consider taking stern measures" and that Japan will hold consultations with the United States, China and South Korea. He also vowed that Japan will "step up cooperation with the United States in missile defense and other areas of defense."

The premier, 52, also called for the swift adoption of a sanctions resolution on North Korea by the U.N. Security Council, saying, "North Korea will have to bear the sole responsibility" for the consequences.

To emphasize that Japan and South Korea, which until now had often differed in their views on how to deal with the North, stand on a united front, Abe said, "I believe we are fully in step with each other and that we will continue to share the same understanding."

Abe added that he believes the achievement of a common stance on North Korea through his talks with the Chinese and South Korean leaders during the two-day trip shows that "North Korea's moves cannot hamper Japan's relations with China and South Korea."

In talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing on Sunday, Japan and China also agreed that a North Korean nuclear test is unacceptable and to work on persuading the North to abandon its nuclear arms and programs.

On bilateral relations, Roh told Abe that their two-hour summit was not expected to resolve all problems but to serve as "the first step toward dialogue for a cooperative relationship to deal with future issues."

But Roh also touched on history-related issues, saying in his news conference, "The past is not history that has gone by but history that continues to live even today. After all, we must settle history (issues)."

At the talks, he raised three history-related issues, namely the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine that honors Class-A war criminals with the war dead, some history textbooks that critics say whitewash Japan's militaristic past, and Abe's stance regarding women forced to work as sex slaves for the Japanese army during wartime.

"I will take the feelings and sentiments of the South Korean people seriously and would like to build a future-oriented relationship of trust," Abe said at his news conference.

He told Roh he will not say whether he will visit Yasukuni as premier to avoid stirring political and diplomatic problems and that he will handle the issue "in an appropriate manner." Visits by Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi were a major cause that led relations with South Korea and China to deteriorate.

Abe said there are cautious discussions among the public in Japan regarding consideration of a separate memorial facility for remembering the war dead, but suggested starting joint history research by the yearend in relation to the textbook issue, a senior Japanese official said in briefing reporters.

He also assured Roh that his Cabinet will honor a statement issued in 1993 by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that apologized for the sufferings of the "comfort women" who were forced to provide sex for soldiers during the war and admitted the Japanese military's involvement.

Roh, on his part, said in his news conference that he will visit Japan at an appropriate time. But no details were discussed at the summit on when the two leaders will meet next, the Japanese official said.

At the summit, Abe officially conveyed Japan's support for Ban Ki Moon, South Korea's foreign minister, to become the next U.N. secretary general. He expressed hopes that Ban will exercise leadership in regard to U.N. reforms, in reference to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

The South Korean government, in a pamphlet distributed to reporters, expressed expectations that Abe's visit would "serve as a catalyst to help restore bilateral ties" and cultivate "confidence and trust" between the two leaders.

Abe's wife Akie, known to be a fan of South Korean star Bae Yong Joon and who has been learning Korean for three years, visited the Seoul Kwanghee Elementary School and did a little bit of sightseeing while her husband met with Roh.

Roh hosted a dinner for Abe and the first lady before their departure for Tokyo in the evening to wrap up their two-day trip to Japan's two closest neighbors.