On September 17, 2002, the top leaders of the DPRK and Japan signed the declaration the main spirit of which is to redeem the inglorious past between the two countries, settle their pending issues and establish fruitful political, economic and cultural relations for the first time in history.

The DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration serves as a milestone for improving the DPRK-Japan relations as it comprehensively indicates the goal, principles and basic ways for doing so.

The declaration reflects the will of the peoples of the two countries to create a new history of the improved DPRK-Japan relations by liquidating the inglorious past, banning any act of threatening mutual security and cooperating with each other for peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

The government of the DPRK has made every possible effort for successfully implementing the declaration.

Quite contrary to this, Japan misinterpreted and defamed the basic spirit of the declaration from the outset, scuttling the implementation of its every paragraph.

Zealously pursuant to the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, Japan has not implemented any provision of the declaration but worked in the direction of annulling it.

Japan embellished and justified its history of aggression against Korea in which it imposed unspeakable misfortune and sufferings upon the Korean people including the sexual slavery, violating the provisions calling for redeeming its past crimes, the basic requirement for the implementation of the declaration and prerequisite to the improvement of the DPRK-Japan relations.

Persistently pulling up the DPRK over "its nuclear and missile and abduction issues," Japan fanned up the hostility toward the DPRK and stepped up the moves for its militarist expansion in real earnest internally and turned the DPRK-Japan relations more hostile than those before the adoption of the declaration.

It was the view of Japan that the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and detente are little short of losing the justification for putting into practice its moves for turning itself into a military giant including nuclear weaponization.

That was why Japan threw obstacles in discussing every matter at the six-party talks for the settlement of the nuclear issue on the peninsula.

The "missile issue" touted by Japan is nothing but a pretext for rounding off its preparations for turning itself into a military giant and staging a comeback to Korea as evidenced by its joint efforts with the U.S. to establish the missile defence system and launch spy satellites under the pretext of ensuring peace and security in Northeast Asia.

This is clearly proved by the fact that Japan recently laid a legal foundation for its space militarization and nuclear weaponization, talking about the DPRK's "missile threat".

The forces of Japan hostile to the DPRK are persistently raising the already settled "abduction issue" and using it for their sinister political purposes.

Japan has persistently concocted fresh "information about abduction" though the "abduction issue" had been finally settled thanks to the sincere efforts made by the DPRK. It has used this as a principal pretext for concealing its past crimes.

Japan created "abduction industry" rare to be found in any other parts of the world. It set up government organizations and conspiratorial bodies handling the "abduction issue" in various places, using them as a lever for winning the popularity of conservative politicians and letting those who deal with the issue earn money.

Only when one raises a hue and cry over the "abduction issue", can one become "a nationalist" and "a patriot" and do a bit in the political camp. Only ruckus over this matter can help such riff-raffs as the members of "the Society for Rescuing Abductees" eke out their living. This is the present situation of Japan.

The Japanese authorities have intensified their political persecution and suppression of Koreans in Japan and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), a legitimate overseas citizens' organization of the DPRK under the pretext of the "abduction issue", mercilessly infringing upon their right to existence and national rights. Their repressive campaign against Koreans in Japan and Chongryon protecting their national rights has reached its height.

As all facts prove, the Japanese authorities' racket over the "nuclear, missile and abduction issues" pursuant to the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK is nothing but a wanton violation of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and a move to scrap it.

Due to Japan's vicious policy of confrontation with the DPRK, the declaration has been seriously misinterpreted as the one for settling someone's "nuclear, missile and abduction issues" quite contrary to its noble idea and spirit and the prospect of its implementation is becoming grim as the days go by.

The DPRK-Japan relations can never be mended if Japan persistently talks about the "nuclear, missile and abduction issues," toeing the U.S. policy, failing to realize the gravity of the prevailing situation.

It is the behest of Generalissimo Kim Jong Il to improve the DPRK-Japan relations so that the two countries may become near and close countries, not near but distant ones.

The government of the DPRK remains unchanged in its stand to implement the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration to the last.

If the Japanese authorities are truly willing to contribute to the development of the relations between the two countries and peoples and peace and stability in the region, they should roll back their anachronistic hostile policy toward the DPRK and opt for the implementation of the historic declaration.

Whether the DPRK-Japan relations are normalized in conformity with the expectation of the international community and the wishes of the peoples of the two countries in the new century or remain in the abnormal state of confrontation entirely depends on Japan's attitude.