For the people of Japan, the world's only country to suffer atomic-bomb attacks, the existence of nuclear weapons in any form is unacceptable. Regrettably, however, nuclear proliferation is continuing outside the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
The nuclear arms of North Korea, which has deployed 200 Rodong missiles capable of hitting Japan, pose an immediate security threat to the country.
The latest session of the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear-arms development ended Feb. 13 with Pyongyang agreeing to shut down and seal its nuclear reactor and accept inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency in exchange for energy supplies in two phases.