Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-il held a historic summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on September 17.

The Kim-Koizumi talks have the potential to inject vitality into bilateral relations between DPRK and Japan and help improve security in the region as a whole.

The two leaders of the generation-long adversaries demonstrated to the entire world their political resolution and courage to reverse a standstill in their diplomatic normalization talks.

Without doubt the door for talks, once opened at the highest diplomatic level, will be difficult to close.

Koizumi's DPRK visit was the first by a Japanese prime minister to its former colony without diplomatic relations.

"The landmark summit meeting between the two leaders will undoubtedly open a convenient channel for talks on the normalization of bilateral relations, which will accelerate their diplomatic normalization and make the security situation in East Asia more stable," said Jin Xide, a researcher with the Institute of Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The two countries may lack trust and an effective consultative channel but all meetings will provide a platform for them to exchange views and build mutual trust. It is expected that a regular mechanism could be established to cope with any crisis resulting from unexpected minor incidents.

"The visit is not only a consequence of numerous official contacts between the two countries over the past year but also the concessions from them," Jin said.

In the joint Pyongyang Declaration, Koizumi made an apology for Japan's colonial rule (1910-45) over DPRK and a promise for economic co-operation in such forms as grants and low-interest loans to the latter.

Kim apologized for the abduction of 11 Japanese nationals allegedly kidnapped by DPRK agents and promised to prevent similar acts.

These issues had been a serious thorn in previous talks between the two countries on the normalization of diplomatic ties.

"Without basic mutual trust between the two sides, the slight warming of bilateral relations might easily cool down and even regress by any accident," Jin said.

Both countries feel the need to seek a new diplomatic breakthrough in bilateral ties.

"By seeking a breakthrough in DPRK-Japan relations, Koizumi intends to raise his popularity, which has been dented by Japan's protracted economic slump and his controversial visits to the Yasukuni Shrine," Jin said.

"And Kim Jong-il wanted to enhance his self-confidence by achieving results in recent efforts to improve relations with big powers."

Zhang Lili, a professor with the Beijing-based Foreign Affairs College, said: "As an unusual diplomatic move, Kim and Koizumi have taken an important step in relaxing the Northeast Asian regional situation."

Since the end of the Cold War, the situation on Korean Peninsula has occasionally become strained because there are no diplomatic relations between DPRK and countries such as the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Since the historic summit meeting between Kim Jong-il and ROK President Kim Dae-jung in 2000, this situation has relaxed to some extent.

However, relations between DPRK and ROK have always been subject to influence from the United States and Japan.

Without progress in DPRK's relations with the United States and Japan, it is difficult for the North-South conciliatory process and the security situation in this region to achieve fundamental progress.

"The Kim-Koizumi meeting and the following diplomatic normalization talks will inevitably speed up ROK and the United States' reconciliatory steps with DPRK," Zhang said.

"A better relationship between the DPRK and Japan will invalidate the latter's excuse to develop military strength."

DPRK has long been regarded by Japan as a threat, which was used as a justification for Japan's military development.

But the way ahead for the two countries is not guaranteed to be smooth because of their long-standing feud.

Koizumi's trip to the DPRK fully demonstrates that Japan has distanced itself from the United States in terms of the DPRK. The DPRK is on the Bush administration's list of "axis of evil."

"Without notifying the United States in advance, Koizumi's abrupt decision to visit DPRK shows once again that Japan is keen to move beyond the influence of the United States diplomatically," Zhang said.

The first such action by Japan was its decision to set up diplomatic relations with China in 1972.

DPRK's active efforts to improve relations with big powers will be conducive to peace and stability in the region.

(China Daily September 25, 2002)