No.TM-0943

DATE. 041345

TO. 외무부장관귀하(사본:방교국장)
9월4일자"아사히"신문조간은 북송문제에 관한 사실을 게재하고 있아온 바"JAPAN TIMES"는 이를 아래와 같이 요약하고 있아옵기 보고하나이다.
-기-
REPATRIATION
THE NIIGATA TALKS ON THE EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT JAPAN -NORTH KOREA REPATRIATION AGREEMENT ARE EXPECTED TO START MONDAY AFTER MORE THAN A WEEK OF TIME HAS BEEN WASTED ON MULLING MERELY A TECHNICAL PROBLEM SUCH AS THE PRESS DISPATCH ISSUE. NEITHER THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT NOR THE NORTH KOREAN SIDE SHOULD HAVE ENGROSSED THEMSELVES IN SUCH A MINOR ISSUE. THE ONLY POINT AT ISSUE IS HOW TO EXTEND THE CURRENT AGREEMENT, DUE TO EXPIRE ON NOV.12, AND HOW TO SPEED UP REPATUATION OPERATIONS. IF REPATRIATION CANNOT BE CARRIED OUT FASTER THAN AT THE PRESENT SPEED, ABOUT TWO MORE YEARS WILL BE NEEDED BEFORE SOME 100,000 MORE KOREAN RESIDENTS IN JAPAN ARE REPATRIATED TO NORTH KOREA. IT IS HOPED THAT THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT WILL EXERT ALL POSSIBLE EFFORTS TO EXPEDITE THE REPATRIATION PROGRAM. THE PROBLEM MUST BE SOLVED AS ONE OF HUMANITARIAN NATURE AND MUST NOT BE COMPLICATED BY ANY POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF EITHER PARTY.----ASAHI SHIMBUNM

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