Fresh off S. Korean media:
http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/06/13/2009061300035.html?srchCol=news&srchUrl=news2
/begin my excerpts
If U.S. Accepts N. Korean Nuke, Calls for Nuclear Sovereignty Could Spread (message to US)
Ju Yong-joong
2009.06.13 02:51
Presidential Office: “Won’t discuss it at the upcoming summit. Could cause misunderstanding if we link it to N. Korean nuclear test.”
On June 12, ruling party’s policy committee publicly called for both S. Korean and U.S. governments to allow the ‘Restoration of Peaceful Nuclear Sovereignty,’ on the eve of S. Korea-U.S. summit, which is viewed as a prelude to things to come. Instead of pushing S. Korean government to ‘raise this issue right now at the upcoming summit, it would serve as a message to U.S. that if America continue to avoid getting tough on N. Korea, push for peaceful nuclear sovereignty would continue.
The ruling party revealed that they need to push ‘peaceful nuclear sovereignty ‘ as a counterweight, just in case U.S. accepts N. Korea as a nuclear state. As a matter of fact, some in U.S. suggest that ‘N. Korea is already a nuclear state’ while evaluating N. Korea’s nuclear capability. In this context, push for completed nuclear cycle(note: right to reprocess spent nuclear material) advocated by the ruling party is reminding U.S. that ‘S. Korea cannot afford to do nothing’ if U.S. acquiesces N. Korea’s nuclear weapons.
/end my excerpts
Ping!
In view of this, I think the chances that Japan will not make a diplomatic back-channel intimiations that it has nucleear weapons is REMOTE.
Asia will become very much more MORE COMPLICATED fairly soon —it’s inevitable.
I’m still very interested ina the recon air sampling over the DRPK, of course.
I am not hearing anything final on that.