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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; 
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; 
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, 
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA 
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; 
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
 
SUBJECT:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 05/27/09 
 
INDEX: 
(1) First party leaders' debate between Prime Minister Aso, DPJ 
President Hatoyama: Heated exchanges on change of government 
(Yomiuri) 
 
(2) Power struggle continues in the DPJ (Asahi) 
 
(3) Amendment to Ministry of Defense Establishment Law passes Diet; 
Post of special advisor to defense minister established (Yomiuri) 
 
(4) President Obama picks Roos as ambassador to Japan, probably 
taking election contributions into consideration (Sankei) 
 
(5) Interview with U.S. Ambassador to APEC Haslach: 2010 summit will 
look into trade liberalization within region, new goal (Nikkei) 
 
(6) North Korea's nuclear test a blow to nuclear inequality that 
allows only five powers to possess nuclear weapons (Asahi) 
 
(7) Behind the scenes of the crisis - North Korea's nuclear test 
(Part 1): Predominance of military over party in consolidation of 
the regime (Mainichi) 
 
(8) TOP HEADLINES 
 
(9) EDITORIALS 
 
(10) Prime Minister's schedule, May 26 (Nikkei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) First party leaders' debate between Prime Minister Aso, DPJ 
President Hatoyama: Heated exchanges on change of government 
 
YOMIURI ONLINE (Full) 
15:32, May 27, 2009 
 
The first party leaders' debate between Prime Minister Taro Aso and 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama was held at 
the Diet on May 27. 
 
To Aso's criticism that "a change of government is a means and not 
the end," Hatoyama retorted with: "Of course, a change of government 
is not the end; it is the starting line." 
 
Replying to Hatoyama's question about whether "the United States 
gave advance notice" about North Korea's nuclear test, Aso said: "It 
is a fact that the U.S. informed us at an early stage," but he also 
stated: "We do not discuss this kind of subject." 
 
This was the first party leaders' debate since last November, when 
then President Ichiro Ozawa represented the DPJ. 
 
(2) Power struggle continues in the DPJ 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 27, 2009 
 
With the turnover of the president in the Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ), moves toward the realignment of groups have begun. While 
supporters of the new president Yukio Hatoyama and Deputy President 
Ichiro Ozawa are hastily consolidating forces, forces that supported 
 
TOKYO 00001198  002 OF 011 
 
 
Secretary General Katsuya Okada during the presidential election are 
looking at the possibility of forming a loose alliance across group 
borders. Political maneuvering in anticipation of the 
"post-Hatoyama" era and a "generational change" has already begun at 
this early stage. 
 
"Junin-kai" of Okada supporters 
 
On May 26, Okada, former president Seiji Maehara, Deputy Secretary 
General Yoshihiko Noda, former Policy Research Committee chief Yukio 
Edano, House of Representatives member Koichiro Genba, and two 
others had dinner with supreme adviser Kozo Watanabe at a restaurant 
near the Diet. 
 
These seven are termed the "DPJ's seven magistrates" by Watanabe and 
are the next-generation leaders of the party. They mostly supported 
Okada in the presidential race. 
 
These members, along with the mid-ranking and junior Diet members 
who supported Okada, are beginning to try new things based on the 
lesson they learned from their defeat resulting from poor 
organizational ability compared to the Hatoyama and Ozawa groups. 
 
The core Okada supporters have formed the "Junin-kai (Group of 10)." 
On the evening of May 12, Genba and Noda, plus the "group of four 
deputies" under the new Hatoyama leadership - including Jun Azumi, 
deputy chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee, and Tetsuro Fukuyama, 
deputy chairman of the Policy Research Committee - who have come to 
support Okada, and a few others making a total of 10 people, had 
dinner with Okada. The group's name came from that gathering. They 
intend to meet regularly from now on. 
 
With the core consolidated, the next step is to find a framework for 
collaboration across group borders. 
 
The Maehara and Noda groups, which form the core supporters of 
Okada, are known to be loose alliances. On the other hand, the Ozawa 
and Hatoyama groups are known for their strong unity. This 
difference was reflected in the outcome of the presidential 
election. 
 
For this reason, there was a suggestion at the party of the Okada 
camp to mark the end of the election on the evening of May 20 that 
"the Okada group should be a holding company-type of organization in 
the party." This means that the core members will unite the various 
groups to build a new support base. 
 
Some 50 people attended this party. The group came to be called the 
"95 Kai," from the 95 votes Okada won in the presidential race. One 
mid-ranking Diet member says: "95 (pronounced kyugo) means kyugo 
(post-Hatoyama, the first character of Hatoyama's name is also 
pronounced as kyu and go is "after"), with succession to Hatoyama in 
mind. 
 
However, the Diet members participating in this group have not 
necessarily decided to support Okada in the next election. Okada 
himself is not keen on forming this group. Nevertheless, a veteran 
lawmaker who is wary of Ozawa's influence called for the 
strengthening of his political base. He said: "The only way to 
counter the Ozawa group is to unite the groups in the Okada camp." 
 
Consolidating the "Kobato alliance" 
 
TOKYO 00001198  003 OF 011 
 
 
 
The united front between the Ozawa and Hatoyama groups in the 
presidential election was called the "Kobato alliance" in the DPJ. 
After the election, they have been making efforts at intraparty 
harmony while also consolidating their position in the party as 
individual groups. 
 
At a dinner party on the evening of May 25, Ozawa expressed his 
gratitude to eight members of the group of former members of the 
(defunct) Japan Socialist Party, including Azuma Koshiishi, chair of 
the DPJ House of Councillors caucus, and Hirotaka Akamatsu, chairman 
of the Election Campaign Committee. He said: "I have put you through 
a great deal of trouble. Thank you for holding this party for me 
today." This group was divided in their support in the presidential 
election, but those who supported Okada were also invited to the 
party. 
 
A participant who is close to Ozawa said: "The party to say 'thanks 
for a job well done' to Mr. Ozawa is more important than the parties 
of Mr Hatoyama or Mr Okada to mark the end of the election." At the 
party of the Hatoyama camp attended by around 70 people on the 
evening of May 21, people talked about "no side" and "let us unite 
and fight as one in the general election." There was strong concern 
about being divided into the Hatoyama and Okada factions. They made 
every effort to create a mood of party unity. 
 
(3) Amendment to Ministry of Defense Establishment Law passes Diet; 
Post of special advisor to defense minister established 
 
YOMIURIO Online (Full) 
11:50a.m., May 27, 2009 
 
A bill amending the Ministry of Defense (MOD) Establishment Law, 
featuring the establishment of a political appointee post of special 
advisor to the defense minister, was passed and enacted on the 
morning of May 27 by a majority vote of members of the Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP), the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the 
New Komeito. 
 
The amendment includes a measure to strengthen the system of 
assisting the defense minister as part of reform of the ministry in 
the wake of scandals involving the ministry, such as a corruption 
case caused by former vice minister Takemasa Moriya. 
 
The defense minister can appoint up to three special advisors from 
among experts in the private sector. Following the enactment of the 
bill, the current defense counselor system of MOD bureaucrats 
assisting the defense minister will be abolished. The amendment 
stipulates that the Defense Council, which was set up in accordance 
with an official instruction, is the MOD's highest-level 
deliberative body. 
 
(4) President Obama picks Roos as ambassador to Japan, probably 
taking election contributions into consideration 
 
SANKEI (Page 6) (Full) 
May 27, 2009 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama will officially appoint California 
lawyer John Roos, 54, as the next ambassador to Japan. Roos started 
raising funds for Obama in the presidential election campaign last 
year when Hillary Clinton (now secretary of State) was still viewed 
 
TOKYO 00001198  004 OF 011 
 
 
as the most prospective winner in the Democrat nomination race. The 
nomination of Roos as ambassador is viewed as a reward for such 
contributions. Compared with Mike Mansfield and other past U.S. 
ambassadors to Japan, Roos is relatively unknown in Japan, but his 
strong point is that he is personally close to President Obama. 
 
Roos was watching the process of counting the ballots cast in the 
presidential election in last November in Chicago - Obama's 
electoral state. After listening to the address Obama delivered 
after winning the U.S. presidency, Roos emotionally said in an 
interview with an ABC TV-affiliated station at a hotel where he was 
staying: "I believe that Mr. Obama's victory will change not only 
the U.S. but also the world as a whole." 
 
Through Obama's favor, Roos and his colleagues from Silicon Valley 
were able to secure seats in front of the U.S. Capital Historical 
Society for the presidential inaugural held Jan. 20. 
 
Roos has supported Democratic candidates in presidential elections, 
starting with former vice president Walter Mondale. He met Obama in 
2005 for the first time. He also arranged fund-raising parties, in 
addition to collecting donations from individuals. He is one of the 
top 50 election contributors for Obama, according to a survey by a 
U.S. government monitoring group. 
 
Obama reportedly expressed to Roos his intention to run in the 
presidential race in Washington in January 2007 and sought his 
cooperation. Asked about how he felt at that time, he replied in an 
interview with a monthly magazine issued in San Francisco, from 
where he comes: "He is like a person who keeps everything including 
energy inside." 
 
Just before Obama declared his candidacy, Roos hosted a fund-raising 
party at his home in February 2007, collecting approximately 300,000 
dollars (about 28 million yen). In a party he held with his friends 
in San Francisco in August 2008, as much as about 8 million dollars 
(approximately 760 million yen) was reportedly collected. 
 
Some observers attribute Obama's victories over Clinton in the 
primary election and over the Republican candidate McCain in the 
main election to his financial strength. It is said in a sense that 
Roos supported Obama's victory as a key person of Obama's "Amazing 
Money Machine" that attracts donors. 
 
Some calling for career diplomats for political appointee 
ambassadorial posts 
 
The post of U.S. ambassador to Japan has been filled by influential 
politicians since Michael Mansfield, who had served as Democratic 
Senate floor leader, was appointed to the post (in 1977). Mansfield 
called Japan-U.S. relations "the most important bilateral 
relationship in the world, bar none." 
 
The previous president, George Bush, emphasized in an inaugural 
speech for former Republican Senate majority leader Howard Baker's 
inauguration as ambassador to Japan in 2001 that the U.S. government 
has sent figures with a "brilliant career." Bush said: "A total 
number of years of service as members of Congress (by four 
successive ambassadors to Japan, including Mansfield and Baker) is 
more than 100 years. The Japanese media call these influential 
politicians "heavyweights." 
 
 
TOKYO 00001198  005 OF 011 
 
 
Roos is not categorized as a "heavyweight," but he is close to the 
incumbent president, like previous ambassador to Japan Thomas 
Schieffer, who became acquainted with Bush in Texas and managed a 
major U.S. baseball club jointly with him, Schieffer reportedly was 
able to pick up the phone and call Bush even in his bedroom. 
 
At present, one third of the posts of U.S. ambassadors are 
"political appointees." Some of the political appointees do not have 
enough knowledge about foreign policy. Given this, there are 
American diplomatic experts who have been calling for career 
diplomats to assume the ambassadorship in Japan, Britain and other 
countries. President Obama had also indicated his desire to pick 
diplomats for the posts of ambassador as much as possible. As shown 
in the appointment of Roos, he has succeeded to the practice of 
awarding an ambassadorship to a political contributor 
 
(5) Interview with U.S. Ambassador to APEC Haslach: 2010 summit will 
look into trade liberalization within region, new goal 
 
NIKKEI (Page 4) (Full) 
May 27, 2009 
 
It has been 20 years this year since the Asia-Pacific Economic 
Cooperation forum (APEC) was launched. APEC will hold a summit in 
Yokohama in 2010 with Japan serving as the host nation. The 
organization is gradually losing its identity with the Group of 20 
Countries and Areas (G-20), which has the participation of both 
industrialized and newly emerging countries, increasing its 
presence. This newspaper asked Ambassador to APEC Patricia Haslach 
of the U.S. Department of State, now visiting Japan, about the U.S. 
approach. 
 
-- Has the Obama administration firmed up its trade policy toward 
Asia? 
 
"Only about 100 days have passed since the inauguration of the 
administration. It is now reviewing trade-related policies, such as 
a policy toward APEC, under the initiative of the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR) Ronald Kirk. The U.S. has committed 
itself to APEC during the previous and current administration. It 
will host an APEC meeting in 2011, following Japan." 
 
-- The APEC summit held last November focused on the prevention of 
protectionism. 
 
"APEC at the G-20 made commitment to preventing protectionism. It at 
the summit last year right after the G-20 strengthened that 
commitment. It also made the case at the G-20 held in London in 
April that protectionist measures will only prolong the economic 
crisis. Preventing protectionism will also be on the table of the 
APEC trade ministerial meeting in July and the summit in November. 
Those meetings will issue a statement calling on its members not to 
take protectionist measures again." 
 
-- Even though such statements have been issued at various 
conferences, some countries have protectionist measures. The U.S. 
has adopted the Buy-American Clause (mandating the use of U.S. 
products in public works)." 
 
"The Buy-American Clause is part of our stimulus measures. It has 
been set in accordance with the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 
rules. The WTO is currently examining protectionist measures adopted 
 
TOKYO 00001198  006 OF 011 
 
 
by various countries. This issue will be discussed at the trade 
ministers' meeting in July." 
 
-- What will top the agenda of the 2009 APEC summit to be held in 
Singapore? 
 
"Main agenda items will include the integration of regional 
economies, food safety, energy efficiency, the environment, the 
social impact of the financial crisis, and the new influenza 
strain." 
 
-- The deadline to achieve the Bogor goal adopted in 1994 for 
liberalization of trade and investment in the region is drawing 
near. 
 
"Industrialized countries are making headway to achieve the goal in 
¶2010. Some developing countries whose deadline to achieve that goal 
comes in 2020 will be able to do so before that year. The 2010 APEC 
summit will presumably be discussing the next step." 
 
-- In Japan, some take the view that the Democratic administration 
attaches importance to China because of the image they had built 
during the Clinton administration. Secretary of State Clinton 
visited Japan first. However, Treasury Secretary Geithner will visit 
China first, and that is making headlines. 
 
"Japan is one of the most important countries with which the U.S. 
has bilateral relations. Secretary Clinton chose Japan as the first 
country to visit in her Asian trip. I do not know about the treasury 
secretary's schedule for foreign visits. Isn't it better not to 
overinterpret which country he will visit first? What is important 
is that he visits the country. He might visit China first simply 
because of his schedule." 
 
Interviewer: Editorial board member Akio Fujii 
 
(6) North Korea's nuclear test a blow to nuclear inequality that 
allows only five powers to possess nuclear weapons 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
May 27, 2009 
 
Tetsuya Hakoda in Seoul, Toru Tamagawa in Vienna 
 
North Korea's second nuclear test has sparked international 
condemnation, as seen in the UN Security Council's decision on May 
25 to aim toward a new resolution. Even so, North Korea is hell-bent 
to become a nuclear power. This offers a glimpse into a paradox in 
the international framework that is supposed to prevent nuclear 
proliferation. 
 
"The nuclear test and the launch of ballistic missiles are the 
natural option taken by our country to defend peace on the Korean 
Peninsula from military threats, such as the United States." 
 
The Rodong Sinmun, the Korean Workers Party organ paper, reportedly 
carried this argument on May 25, the day the North conducted the 
second nuclear test. 
 
Becoming a nuclear power has been North Korea's long-held dream 
since the days of the late president Kim Il Sung. The country has 
been following the path in the belief that nuclear development would 
 
TOKYO 00001198  007 OF 011 
 
 
help remove hardships from the country, a minor power. 
 
In his New Year speech in 1992, then President Kim Il Sung said, 
"Turning the Korean Peninsula into a nuclear-free peaceful zone has 
been our consistent position." The day before, on December 31, 1991, 
Kim signed the South-North Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization 
of the Korean Peninsula. General Secretary Kim Jong Il, too, said in 
2005 to the then South Korean unification minister: "Denuclearizing 
the Korean Peninsula was President Kim's last instruction. Resolving 
the nuclear issue through dialogue has been our consistent 
standpoint." In 2007, the year after the North conducted its first 
nuclear test, Kim Jong Il reportedly told then South Korean 
President Roh Moo Hyun who was visiting Pyongyang that the North had 
no intention of possessing nuclear weapons. 
 
Pyongyang's logic was that although its desire was to denuclearize 
the peninsula, it had to pursue the nuclear option due to the need 
to counter the United States that upheld hostile policy toward the 
North. 
 
But in reality, North Korea has long been aiming at becoming a 
nuclear power. The country reportedly began research in the early 
1960s after the Korean War and has accelerated it since the 1980s. 
 
The country acceded to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 
1985 and announced its withdrawal from the pact in 1993. This was 
followed by the United States' step to consider using force against 
the North, which had refused nuclear inspections. The North again 
announced in January 2003 its decision to pull out of the treaty due 
to its standoff with the United States over the question of 
enriching uranium. The situation remains the same since. After the 
first nuclear test in 2006, the North Korean Foreign Ministry 
announced, "We are no longer a signatory to the NPT and are not 
subject to any constraints under international law." 
 
In an attempt to justify its nuclear programs, North Korea cited the 
double standards of the United States, which has effectively 
condoned the possession of nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan 
without joining the NPT. The Rodong Sinmun said: "The United States 
has promoted nuclear proliferation. The NPT and other arms-control 
agreements exist only in name because of the double standards of the 
United States. The United States has set aside its duties and even 
fabricated information on offending countries." 
 
To begin with, the North joined the NPT in compliance with a strong 
request from the Soviet Union, which offered significant cooperation 
in developing nuclear reactors. Now that such a restriction no 
longer exists, the North thinks it can gain nothing from returning 
to the NPT, according to a South Korean government official. 
 
A South Korean official formerly responsible for North Korea policy 
took this view: "North Korea thinks Iraq collapsed because it did 
not have nuclear weapons. Pyongyang believes that nuclear 
development is the bargaining chip that ensures the security of the 
North Korean regime." 
 
NPT regime on the brink of collapse 
 
North Korea's second nuclear test has dealt a blow to the NPT regime 
that is supposed to halt nuclear proliferation. If such countries as 
Iran, which is pursuing uranium enrichment, follow in the footsteps 
of North Korea, the international nonproliferation framework wrapped 
 
TOKYO 00001198  008 OF 011 
 
 
in a paradox is certain to collapse. 
 
The NPT that went into force in 1970, at the height of the Cold War, 
allows only the five UN Security Council members - the United 
States, Russia, Britain, France and China - to possess nuclear 
weapons, while prohibiting other countries from manufacturing and 
possessing nuclear arms. The treaty's purpose was to stop the 
nuclear arms race amid growing concerns over a nuclear war. 
 
The inequality of the treaty has continued to elicit discontent from 
non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS) regarding the logic of the five 
nuclear powers. 
 
Even so, signatories have winked at its inequality because they 
believed that nuclear nonproliferation would contribute to their 
security. They can also obtain international cooperation for the 
peaceful use of nuclear energy in return for accepting inspections 
by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear 
watchdog. 
 
But the five nuclear powers have not fulfilled the obligation 
specified in the treaty to earnestly conduct talks on nuclear 
disarmament. Discord between the nuclear powers and the NNWS became 
evident at the NPT review conferences that take place every five 
years. 
 
The previous 2005 NPT Review Conference failed to adopt an accord 
specifying a clear pledge for eliminating nuclear weapons. 
 
The NPT does not envisage the possession of nuclear weapons by 
countries other than the five powers. The international community 
does not recognize North Korea, which has repeatedly conducted 
nuclear tests, as a nuclear power because of this rule. 
 
In reality, North Korea is not the only one that aims at becoming a 
nuclear power outside the international rule. India conducted a 
nuclear test in 1998 and Pakistan followed suit as its rival. They 
possess nuclear weapons today while remaining outside the NPT 
regime. 
 
The international community, including the United States, imposed 
economic sanctions on the two countries but they did not last long. 
The United States concluded a civilian nuclear agreement with India 
last year paving the way for nuclear power generation for commercial 
use in India. The possession of nuclear weapons by Pakistan has 
effectively not been called into question, either, as an ally 
playing a role in the war on terror. The United States has also 
turned a blind eye to Israel as its backer. 
 
If the NPT becomes an empty shell, many countries might opt for 
possessing nuclear weapons, like North Korea, after withdrawing from 
the treaty. Iran has accelerated uranium enrichment in defiance of 
UN Security Council resolutions, while remaining in the framework of 
the NPT. 
 
(7) Behind the scenes of the crisis - North Korea's nuclear test 
(Part 1): Predominance of military over party in consolidation of 
the regime 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Full) 
May 27, 2009 
 
 
TOKYO 00001198  009 OF 011 
 
 
Shoji Nishioka, Beijing 
 
"Cholmun taejang" in Korean is translated as "wakadaisho (young 
master)" in Japanese. This year North Korea's General Secretary Kim 
Jong Il, 67, began to use a nickname he had never used before. He 
used the word "young master" repeatedly before his close aides in 
such phrases as: "Good job, good job, young master," or, "The young 
master is working very hard," or, "the young master is showing an 
impressive presence." A close aide said he felt that "The Great 
General (General Secretary Kim) is using it intentionally." 
 
A source close to the North Korean leadership explains: 
 
"'Young master' is a nickname that the Great General has begun using 
for his third son. The trend of the succession process is moving in 
favor of the 'young master'." Soon after Kim began referring to his 
third son Jong Un, 26, in this manner, information has been leaked 
to the outside world that "Jong Un is the successor." 
 
After Kim had a stroke last August, moves relating to the succession 
of power began to surface in North Korea. The three potential 
successors to the general secretary are Jong Un, his older brother 
Jong Chol, 28, and his half brother Jong Nam, 38. It is believed 
that Jong Chol is involved with party affairs in the Workers Party 
of Korea, while Jong Un deals with military affairs in the National 
Defense Commission (NDC). 
 
At this point, the successor has not been named. However, the 
above-mentioned source observes that, "Jong Un is a bold and 
big-hearted person. He looks like the late leader (President Kim Il 
Song). Jong Chol is an introvert. Apparently, the Great General 
himself has commented that he is 'too delicate'." 
 
The DPRK enhanced the authority of the NDC significantly at its 
Supreme People's Assembly in April. Some experts say that it has 
"placed the NDC above the party." It is believed that this is also 
an indication of the trend of the succession process. A scholar of 
North Korean affairs in Beijing points out that, "The reversal in 
the relation between the party and the military means that Jong Un 
has an advantage over Jong Chol." 
 
How does the underground nuclear test on May 25 relate to the 
consolidation of the succession process? This scholar offers the 
following analysis: "The ballistic missile launch in April and this 
nuclear test are part of the process to enhance the authority of the 
NDC and facilitate a smooth transition to 'Jong Un's leadership'." 
 
Most diplomatic practitioners offer the explanation that North 
Korea's motive in conducting the second nuclear test was to engage 
in negotiations with the U.S. on an equal footing as a "nuclear 
power" in order to draw major concessions. However, in reality, one 
view of the situation is that the international community has been 
made to suffer the consequences of North Korea's "internal 
circumstances." 
 
Right now, the DPRK has mobilized the whole country for a "150-day 
struggle" to rehabilitate the economy. It is said that Jong Un is at 
the head of this campaign. 
 
The purpose of this struggle is to build a "big and powerful 
country" by 2012, which marks the 100th birth anniversary of Kim Il 
Song. It can be said that the development of nuclear arms and 
 
TOKYO 00001198  010 OF 011 
 
 
missiles is a means for consolidating the succession process and 
normalizing relations with the U.S., which are prerequisites for a 
"big and powerful country." 
 
The repeated use of the term "young master" has also become common 
among senior military officers. Behind the promotion of missile and 
nuclear experiments is the military's thinking that "the Kim Jong Un 
regime will succeed Kim Jong Il" and they are taking a tough stance 
to consolidate the new regime. "The military is rushing to produce 
results." This statement by a source close to the DPRK leadership 
points to the possibility of the military "staging another crisis." 
 
The international community has been scrambling to come up with a 
response to North Korea's nuclear test, which is regarded as part of 
its "brinkmanship diplomacy." We examined the developments behind 
this new situation. 
 
(8) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Pension benefits are less than half of working generations' average 
income in some cases, according to government estimate for fiscal 
2009 
 
Mainichi: 
North Korea prioritizing solidifying military over party 
 
Yomiuri: 
NTT Docomo ties up with Mizuho to enter financial services business 
 
Nikkei: 
Japanese automakers expanding hybrid vehicle lineups 
 
Sankei: 
UN Security Council to adopt new resolution against North Korea; 
China stiffening stance toward the North 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Welfare Ministry official arrested over postal scam 
 
Akahata: 
LDP, DPJ trying to preserve subsidy system while reducing reflection 
of public opinion in politics by decreasing proportional 
representation seats 
 
(9) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) UNSC resolution: Unified stance needed in dealing with North 
Korea 
(2) Concept of sports agency: Thoroughly discuss how to promote 
sports first 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Idea of splitting Health and Welfare Ministry: Full discussion 
necessary before reaching conclusion 
(2) We expect social business to move society 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) UNSC: Map out effective sanctions against North Korea 
(2) Economic assessment: Uncertainty still looming over economy 
 
 
TOKYO 00001198  011 OF 011 
 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Offer assistance to developing countries to contain new strain 
of flu infections 
(2) Press Japan Post President Nishikawa to carry through reform 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Diet resolution against North Korea: Discussion with focus on 
threat imperative 
(2) Split plan for Health and Welfare Ministry: More discussion 
necessary 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Urgently enact bill revising the Law on Organ Transplantation 
(2) New Indian government expected to fulfill responsibility as big 
power 
 
Akahata: 
(1)  Monthly economic report upward assessment, making family 
budgets a sacrifice 
 
(10) Prime Minister's schedule, May 26 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
May 27, 2009 
 
08:32 Attended a cabinet meeting. Education Minister Shionoya stayed 
on. 
08:51 Placed a telephone call to U.S. President Obama. 
09:24 Signed a condolence book for the late South Korean president 
Roh Moo Hyun at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo. 
09:39 Returned to the Kantei. 
13:24 Attended an LDP Lower House members meeting held in the Diet 
building. Afterward met LDP Secretary General Hosoda. 
13:32 Attended a Lower House plenary session. 
13:54 Met Lower House member Nobuhide Minorikawa at the Kantei. 
15:12 Received a telephone call from Australian Prime Minister Rudd. 
Afterward met Public Security Intelligence Agency Director-General 
Kitada. 
16:26 Taped a video for a Junior Chamber International Asia-Pacific 
region convention. Afterward met former prime minister Abe, LDP 
Election Strategy Council Deputy Chairman Suga, and other members of 
the study group to turn Japan into a resource and energy major 
power, followed by the education minister and Vice Education 
Minister Zeniya. 
17:58 Recorded a radio message for the LDP Kanagawa chapter, in the 
presence of Suga. 
18:46 Dined at a Japanese restaurant in Kioicho with Japan Business 
Federation Chairman Mitarai, Nippon Steel Chairman Mimura, Toyota 
senior adviser Okuda, and others. 
20:30 Met MAFF Minister Ishiba at his official residence. 
 
ZUMWALT