Japan-North Korea Relations: (Sad) State of Play and (Sad) Prospects

As threatened after its April missile launch, Pyongyang has on May 25 conducted an underground nuclear test. This was North Korea's second nuclear test after the first test in October 2006. What's more, almost immediately after the UN condemned the test and began working on a resolution, Pyongyang test-fired two shortrange missiles off an east coast base in North Korea. Only a day later then, Pyongyang on May 26 launched another two short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan putting Japan's armed forces on high alert. The UN Security Council reacted promptly to the nuclear and missile tests announcing that it would vote on a binding resolution to prepare and even tougher economic sanctions on North Korea and there is little room for doubt that also Tokyo will in the weeks and months ahead strengthen and expand the country's economic sanctions discussed below. To be sure, North Korea's May 2009 nuclear and missile tests will almost guarantee that there will be no bilateral Japanese-North Korean exchanges in the months ahead and the state of bilateral Japanese-North Korean relations will continue to remain as bad as it gets.