Japan seeks debate on its response to North Korea

TOKYO -- In their toughest comments to date on North Korea's missile tests, Japanese officials called yesterday for a debate on whether their country's pacifist constitution would allow Japan to pursue military capabilities to pre-emptively strike at North Korean missile bases. Japan currently does not possess such technology.

In the meantime, Japan backed away from pushing for a vote at the UN Security Council on a measure to impose tough sanctions on North Korea. US and Japanese diplomats have continued to face regional opposition to the plan, particularly from China and South Korea, the state's most important benefactors.

Seeking a diplomatic breakthrough, a Chinese delegation that included vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei arrived yesterday in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, for an official six-day trip. Japan's Nippon Television reported Monday that China had requested a postponement of the Security Council vote until Wu completed his visit.

With all of Japan within easy range of North Korean missiles, an NHK television poll found that 82 percent of respondents said they felt ``fearful or ``somewhat fearful" of the seven missiles that North Korea shot into the Sea of Japan on July 5.

In its post-World War II pacifist constitution, Japan renounced the right to settle international disputes by force. But it has built up a sizable military on the grounds that strict self-defense is acceptable.

Interpretation of the constitutional restrictions is a continuing process; the Japanese parliament has ruled that a pre-emptive strike on missiles that might be about to be fired at Japan may fall under the definition of self-defense.

In recent days, Japanese leaders have been citing this scenario again. Yesterday, the chief Cabinet secretary, Shinzo Abe, who is seen as next to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in September, suggested that Japan should consider whether to pursue the military capabilities needed to launch such an attack against North Korean missile bases.

Japan does not have such technology, though specialists say that it could develop it relatively quickly . Japan is now working with the United States on systems to shoot down missiles after they are launched.

Echoing statements Sunday from Japan's Defense Agency chief, Fukushiro Nukaga, Abe said: ``If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack . . . there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defense. We need to deepen discussion" of such an option, Abe told reporters.

Later yesterday, however, Koizumi expressed caution, telling reporters: `I believe Japan must have deterrence capability, but in what form, we would have to listen carefully to experts' opinions since there can be various situations."

After meeting with Christopher Hill, the Bush administration's top envoy on North Korea, Koizumi suggested to reporters that Japan was willing to wait and see if the Chinese delegation visiting North Korea could make any progress before pressing for a vote at the United Nations.

China and Russia both oppose sanctions, saying they could heighten tensions. And both have veto power over any Security Council resolution.

``The vice minister of China is going to North Korea to persuade them. Under such circumstances, there is no need to insist on a vote on the 10th," Koizumi told reporters.

But Koizumi emphasized that Japan would still seek an early UN vote, and would remain opposed to watering down its proposal, which would be binding and impose international restrictions on North Korea's missile trade.

Japan's swift and hard response to the missile tests are in contrast to the caution being expressed by its neighbor South Korea. South Korea generally advocates engaging the North, rather than trying to punish it. In addition, its relations with Japan can be tense -- on the day of the missile tests, South Korea had dispatched a survey ship into Japanese-claimed waters despite protests from Tokyo.

South Korea's presidential office yesterday accused Tokyo of ``making a fuss" out of the missile launches. It said it planned to go ahead with talks with North Korean officials today in the southern city of Pusan.

Though South Korean officials had threatened to cut off aid to the North Koreans if they tested missiles, the officials indicated yesterday that such action would not be immediately taken up in the pending discussions.

``At this round of the ministerial talks, we will make sure the agenda is the missile issue" and negotiations about North Korea's nuclear program.