NHK reported this afternoon that it has been decided that a Japan-ROK financial dialogue will be held in Tokyo for the first time in seven years on June 29. The network said this was decided at the vice finance ministers’ meeting between Japan and South Korea held in Seoul today. Although Japan and South Korea had been holding the financial….Read more

By Hakoda Tetsuya, editorial writer   Putting its national prestige at stake, North Korea opted to launch an artificial satellite. The move was made by considering various political factors. From now on, it will capitalize on domestic and overseas political developments to its advantage and continue its provocations. In this process, Japan will be pressed to make tough decisions in….Read more

Hiraiwa Shunji, professor (contemporary Korean politics) at Nanzan University   The launch of a spy satellite by North Korea happened at an ill time for the Japanese government. The family members of the victims of North Korean abduction are looking to realize a summit between Prime Minister Kishida and North Korea General Secretary Kim Jong Un. When Kishida met them….Read more

Japan is withdrawing its official development assistance (ODA) for a key railway project in Myanmar that has stood as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries for the past 10 years.   The decision, as a mark of protest over the 2021 military coup against the democratically elected government, affects financial assistance for upgrades to the railway system.  ….Read more

On March 27 in Tokyo, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended a large national rally, seeking a solution to the long-festering issue of abductions by North Korea.   He told the gathering organized by the families of abductees, “The abduction of Japanese nationals, an issue whose resolution has time constraints, is a human rights issue about which we cannot let our….Read more

Nikkei gave front-page play to a report on its written interview with Secretary of Defense Austin, who is scheduled to meet with Defense Minister Hamada in Tokyo today before visiting Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue. According to the paper, Secretary Austin expressed his intention to strengthen the response capabilities of the U.S. forces and the SDF to address the….Read more

All national dailies reported in their front- and inside-page on North Korea’s failure to launch a “military satellite” on Wednesday morning after the rocket carrying the satellite splashed down in the Yellow Sea. The papers said the DPRK announced through its state media that it will conduct another launch as soon as possible, adding that Japan, the United States, and….Read more

Mainichi and Sankei reported that the delegation of South Korean experts who visited Fukushima in late May to examine Japan’s plan to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant said in a press conference on Wednesday that they will continue their analysis and ask the Japanese side to provide relevant resources so they can make a comprehensive assessment of….Read more

Asahi and Sankei reported from Washington that the Biden administration released a statement condemning North Korea’s launch of a “military satellite” using its ballistic missile technology on Wednesday. The statement reportedly said that the United States “will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and the defense of our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies.”….Read more

Nikkei, Sankei, and Yomiuri carried reports from Seoul that former Prime Minister Suga, who heads the supra-partisan Japan-Korea Parliamentarians’ Union, met with ROK President Yoon in Seoul on Wednesday. The two officials reportedly agreed on the importance of close bilateral cooperation as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States in view of the latest attempt by North Korea to launch….Read more