Japan on Monday warned against being ‘blinded’ by North Korea's diplomatic charm offensive at the Winter Olympics, saying the main goal remains ridding Pyongyang of nuclear weapons.
Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono used a visit to Singapore, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, to call for unity in dealing with Pyongyang, a spokesman said.
“We need to maximise pressure on North Korea, to corner North Korea to change its policy by fully implementing the UN Security Council Resolution,” said Toshihide Ando, deputy press secretary at Japan's foreign affairs ministry.
“We will continue to work with the United States and South Korea on this issue. But it's important that we should not be blinded by the charm offensive by North Korea,” he told reporters at a briefing on Kono's visit.