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UNCLAS TOKYO 001202 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, 
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; 
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; 
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; 
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - NORTH KOREA 
 
¶1. LEAD STORIES: All Thursday morning papers gave top or front-page 
play to the growing likelihood of GM filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy 
following the failure on Wednesday of its talks with creditors. 
 
¶2. "Financial Sanctions and Ship Inspections Should Be Implemented" 
The conservative Sankei editorialized (5/28): "... Preparations are 
being made at the UN Security Council to adopt a new resolution, and 
the U.S. is said to be considering additional financial sanctions. 
The 'net' against North Korea should be tightened to prevent further 
violent acts and threats by Pyongyang... It is most important for 
the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and the UNSC not to be driven by North 
Korea's provocations and threats but instead to firmly enhance their 
coordination in order to implement effective sanctions... Financial, 
economic, and movement of goods constitute key elements in curbing 
North Korea's actions. In addition to UNSC sanctions including 
freezing of assets and ship inspections, the U.S. Treasury 
Department's sanctions will be effective on the financial front. 
China should act responsibly on the distribution front, given that 
it provides North Korea with most of its energy and food supplies." 
 
¶3. "UNSC Should Unite and Come Up with Effective Sanctions" The 
liberal Tokyo Shimbun wrote in an editorial (5/28): "The UN Security 
Council is being called on to respond firmly to North Korea's latest 
nuclear test. A new resolution is being prepared, and effective 
sanctions will be indispensable to stop Pyongyang's reckless acts... 
UNSC members should put together effective sanctions in a unified 
manner based on the lessons learned from the 'inconsistency' and 
'limitations' of the previous resolution... The role of China, which 
is the largest supporter of North Korea, is great. While showing no 
objections to the adoption of a new resolution, China appears to 
have expressed hesitance to strong measures, such as ship 
inspections. We hope China will join other nations in compiling 
practical sanctions by taking other nations' opinions into 
consideration...  As seen in President Obama's speech on a 'world 
without nuclear weapons,' momentum toward nuclear disarmament is 
growing. The UNSC should show its determination and take strong 
actions against North Korea so as not to reduce the NPT system to an 
empty shell." 
 
ZUMWALT