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TOKYO: Japan cannot accept North Korea becoming a nuclear state, a position that has also been shared in the G7 Foreign Ministers Statement issued on the 21st as well as in the resolution by the IAEA General Conference in September, Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on Tuesday said.
Hayashi was replying to a question from Arab News Japan on whether Japan would be willing to recognize North Korea as a nuclear state. Hayashi replied by saying that North Korea remains a threat to Japan.
“On November the 18th, North Korea launched an ICBM-grade ballistic missile and it has been conducting ballistic missile tests at an unprecedented pace,” Hayashi pointed out. “North Korea’s nuclear missile development is a severe and pressing threat to Japan’s national security. It is also a clear and severe challenge to international society and cannot be condoned.”
Hayashi noted that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held a summit meeting with US President Joe Biden and South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol on November 13 and the three leaders emphasized the importance of coordination between them.
However, he added, they sought “continuous dialogue” with North Korea in order to peacefully and diplomatically solve any issues they have and wanted North Korea to return to the negotiating table.
“The Japanese government will continue to work closely with US, ROK and international society at large and seek the complete resolution of national security and denuclearization of the North Korean Peninsula,” Hayashi stated.