Japan's Abe says world must be united against North Korea
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said the "international community must stay united and enforce the sanctions" against North Korea. In a New York Times editorial, Abe highlighted the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Its publication comes as world leaders convene at New York for the UN General Assembly session. It comes days after the North tested a ballistic missile over Japan.
Abe highlights threats of North Korean weapons program
Abe wrote: "Here in northeast Asia, the North Korean threat has been real for more than a quarter-century. We face the threat of missiles - short and medium range - together with the possibility of chemical weapons attacks."
Abe argues against sanctions relief for North Korea
"The international community must stay united and enforce the sanctions" against North Korea, wrote Abe. He vehemently argued against the idea of any sanctions relief for Pyongyang, saying it had taken advantage of this and ignored its commitments in the past. He wrote that Pyongyang used the relief to bide time and forge ahead with its nuclear and missile programs.
Abe rules out further dialogue with North Korea
Abe also stressed the need for urgent action and wrote that "more dialogue with North Korea would be a dead end." "Pyongyang would see more talks as proof that other countries succumbed to the success of its missile launches and nuclear tests," he wrote. "Now is the time to exert the utmost pressure on the North. There should be no more delays," he added.
Abe urges countries to cut-off trade ties with Pyongyang
Abe wrote North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles because certain countries continue to trade with it. He said these countries accept North Korean workers, products, and services, helping the regime access foreign currency which is used to procure foreign-made weapons components. Abe may be referring to China and Russia, North Korea's biggest trading partners.
