Japan's North Korea Diplomacy Stalled by
Japan's inability to hold summit-level talks with North Korea for over two decades is rooted in the unresolved abduction issue and a bureaucratic culture
Japan has not held a summit meeting with North Korea in over two decades, a diplomatic freeze primarily driven by the unresolved issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents. The last two summits were between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in September 2002 and May 2004.
From the 1970s through the 1980s, North Korean agents abducted a large number of Japanese nationals. The case of Megumi Yokota, taken as a middle school student, profoundly shocked the public. Successive Japanese administrations have declared resolving the abductions a high-priority issue.
The Legacy of Koizumi's Diplomacy
Koizumi's engagement remains a singular, contentious case. His 2002 visit secured an apology from Kim Jong Il and the return of five abductees and their families in October 2002. This was achieved through dialogue. The key architect was Tanaka Hitoshi, then Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the Foreign Ministry.
Tanaka conducted nearly thirty secret meetings with a North Korean agent known as "Mr. X"in China and other third countries. The secrecy was extreme. Even Shinzo Abe, then Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, was kept unaware."temporary return"of roughly two weeks for the five, not permanent residency. Anger targeted both North Korea and Tanaka."traitor."His career was derailed; the once-promising diplomat never became vice-minister for foreign affairs or ambassador to the United States."full resolution," would expose officials to harsh criticism.
A perverse incentive structure now exists within the Foreign Ministry. Japanese civil servants are divided into elite "career" and specialized "non-career"tracks. Career diplomats rotate posts every two to three years. They are guaranteed advancement if they handle North Korea policy safely without taking risks."the abductions have been resolved" would deepen. If ten people returned, the public would suspect more remain. Japan has struggled for years to define what would constitute a "resolution," an impossible task given the lives at stake.
Overcoming this requires strong political leadership from the prime minister. The structural problem of bureaucratic risk-aversion must be addressed before Japan can make progress on any of its outstanding issues with North Korea, according to the analysis in The Diplomat.
