Japan has criticised as "extremely regrettable" Washington's decision to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Japan opposed the move because it first wanted North Korea to provide more information about Japanese citizens it abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said "abductions amount to terrorist acts".
The US removed the North after saying it had agreed to provide full access to its controversial nuclear programme. Mr Nakagawa objected to the move during a visit to Washington, where he was attending G7 talks.
A BBC correspondent in Tokyo says many in Japan will feel North Korea has been rewarded too soon. Tokyo argues North Korea should remain on the list because issues related to the abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s have not been resolved.
South Korea, however, welcomed the US decision. "This government welcomes these moves as an opportunity that would lead to normalisation of the six-party talks and North Korea's eventual abandonment of its nuclear programmes," said Kim Sook, Seoul's nuclear envoy. |