Possibility of 'Korean Peninsula Thaw' from Japan... Japan's Urgent Need for Olympics and Peace Highlighted

UN Adopts 'Ceasefire Resolution' Ahead of Olympics
Possibility of Creating Atmosphere to Halt US-ROK Military Drills in March
"Japan May Embrace North Korea Within US Permissible Limits"
Hope for Tokyo Olympics to Serve as Turning Point Like Pyeongchang

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea (left), and Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan

With North Korea-U.S. relations at a standstill and inter-Korean relations also stalled, the Korean Peninsula peace process has come to a halt, increasing expectations for Japan's role. Japan, which is mobilizing all its national power for the success of the Tokyo Olympics in July, has a greater incentive than ever to maintain peace in Northeast Asia. Just as the tense Korean Peninsula situation symbolized by the 'fire and fury' of 2017 dramatically reversed through the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, the possibility of a thaw on the Korean Peninsula through the Tokyo Olympics is drawing attention.

At a seminar titled "Prospects for the Korean Peninsula Situation Seen Through the North Korean Workers' Party Plenary Meeting," hosted by the Kyungnam University Institute for Far Eastern Studies on the 10th, Professor Gu Gap-woo of the University of North Korean Studies stated, "The Tokyo Olympics in July 2020 could be a window of opportunity for the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean relations."

Professor Gu said, "From Japan's perspective, given the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, there is inevitably great concern and pressure about whether the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in July can be held peacefully and successfully," adding, "It is necessary for our government to consider how to utilize this."

Professor Gu cited the example of the PyeongChang Olympics. North Korea declared the completion of its nuclear arsenal in November 2017, bringing the Korean Peninsula situation to a crisis. In December of that year, President Moon Jae-in hinted at postponing the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises on the Seoul-Gangneung KTX train while simultaneously proposing North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to participate in the PyeongChang Olympics in his New Year's address the following January, turning the crisis into an opportunity.

Professor Gu suggested, "The South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are scheduled around March this year, and there is a possibility that tensions could escalate again. We need to consider ways for Japan to play a role in resolving such military crises."

The 'Ceasefire Resolution' passed at the United Nations General Assembly on December 9 last year marks the starting point of a 'Japan-led peace process.' At that time, the UN General Assembly adopted a ceasefire resolution calling for the suspension of military conflicts during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics starting in July 2020.

Professor Gu said, "With this ceasefire resolution, we can consider a Japan-led peace process that prevents military tensions in Northeast Asia that could arise from the resumption of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises in March combined with North Korea's military actions." He also explained, "It is also possible for Japan to make the suspension of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises an agenda item at the upcoming China-Japan summit expected around this time."

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un visited the Suncheon Fertilizer Factory in Suncheon City, South Pyongan Province, as his first local guidance schedule of the new year, according to a report by Korean Central Television on the 7th. The photo is a screenshot from Korean Central Television, showing a blurred aerial view with a caption below behind Chairman Kim.

In a situation where North Korea shows no sign of coming to the dialogue table with the U.S. and South Korea is thoroughly ignoring it, it is also possible to assign the role of opening the path to peace to Japan.

Professor Gu explained, "The U.S. is currently struggling to manage two fronts: Northeast Asia and the Middle East. If so, outsourcing the process of creating peace in Northeast Asia is also possible." He said, "The U.S. can make Japan the subject of outsourcing," adding, "In fact, before the U.S.-China d?tente, the restoration of Japan-China relations preceded it." The U.S. and China established diplomatic relations in 1979, but Japan and China did so earlier in 1972.

Professor Gu said, "We can also consider ways to create trilateral cooperation among South Korea, North Korea, and Japan, keeping in mind the possibility that Japan, with autonomy from the U.S. and within the permissible range of the U.S., might embrace North Korea for the Tokyo Olympics."

However, considering that Korea-Japan relations faced an unprecedented crisis last year, the prospects for a Japan-led Korean Peninsula peace process are not entirely bright. Professor Gu said, "It is a significant challenge for South Korea to lead Japan's words and actions amid Korea-Japan conflicts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.