英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun December 17, 2013
North Korea’s reign of terror aimed at containing people’s frustrations
張成沢氏処刑　失政への不満封じる恐怖政治（12月17日付・読売社説）

The latest developments in North Korea indicate that the country has become even more unstable since former leader Kim Jong Il died two years ago.
　金正日総書記の死から２年を経て、北朝鮮は一段と不安定化しているということだろう。

Jang Song Thaek, vice chairman of the National Defense Commission who was regarded as the No. 2 man in the Kim Jong Un regime, was sentenced to death for allegedly trying to take power by staging a military coup. He was executed the same day, just four days after he was ousted from all his posts and expelled from the Workers’ Party of Korea.
　金正恩政権のナンバー２と目されていた張成沢国防委員会副委員長が、解任・党除名処分の４日後、クーデター目的の国家転覆陰謀行為を働いたなどとして死刑判決を言い渡され、即刻処刑された。

These developments illustrate the coldhearted nature of Kim—the ruling party’s first secretary—who is trying to strengthen his dictatorship through a reign of terror that included liquidating his uncle, in the apparent belief that without doing so he would not be able to maintain control of the country.
　自身の叔父すら抹殺する「恐怖政治」で独裁体制の強化を図ろうとする金正恩第１書記の冷酷な本性と、そうでもせねば国内を統制できないとの危機感の表れだ。

North Korea’s state-run media reported the sentence, handed down at a special military court of the State Security Department—the country’s secret police—accusing Jang of attempting to bring about the collapse of the country’s economy and people’s livelihoods. It also said that if the state was driven to the verge of collapse, Jang believed he could grab the reins of power.
　国営メディアは、秘密警察・国家安全保衛部の特別軍事法廷の判決文を伝え、「国の経済と人民生活を破局に追い込もうとした」と張氏を糾弾した。国家が崩壊寸前になれば、政権簒奪(さんだつ)に成功するとの打算があったとしている。

Jang was accused in court of a diverse range of crimes, including an act of treason by cheaply selling off the country’s land with a 50-year lease to a foreign country—land in a special economic and trade zone in Rason near its borders with China and Russia—and triggering tremendous economic confusion with the redenomination of the currency four years ago.
　挙げられた罪状は、中露との国境に位置する羅先経済貿易地帯の土地を「５０年期限で外国に売り飛ばす売国行為」や、４年前のデノミによる「途方もない経済的混乱の惹(じゃっ)起(き)」など多岐にわたる。

To what extent these accusations are true is not known. But the issuance of this statement itself is tantamount to North Korea admitting there are cracks in the regime and economic maladministration. Kim’s regime may be trying to lay all the responsibility on Jang to justify its legitimacy.
　どこまで事実か疑わしいが、こうした発表自体が体制内の亀裂と経済失政を自認したに等しい。全責任を張氏になすりつけ、政権の正当化を図る狙いではないか。

North Korea, which is reinforcing its state control at home, may adopt a policy of external provocations.
　国内統制を強める北朝鮮は、対外的には挑発路線に一層傾斜する可能性がある。

There are strong fears that the country may flaunt its nuclear deterrent by conducting its fourth nuclear test and fire yet another missile under the guise of launching an artificial satellite.
核抑止力の誇示へ、４回目の核実験や、「人工衛星打ち上げ」と称するミサイル発射に踏み切ることへの懸念は強い。

Nuclear missile development

In this respect, it has been learned through analyses of satellite photos that North Korea has restarted a plutonium reactor, while moving ahead with improving nuclear test and missile launch sites. The international community must pay close attention to such developments and cooperate to deal with them.
　事実、プルトニウム生産炉の運転再開や、核実験場、ミサイル発射場の整備を進める様子が衛星写真の分析で判明している。国際社会は、今後の動向を鋭意注視し、連携して対応せねばならない。

Now that Jang has been removed from the scene, Kim apparently intends to carry out economic activities under the Cabinet-led leadership.
　張氏の勢力一掃後、金第１書記は、内閣主導の名の下で、経済活動を展開する意向のようだ。

There are no signs of the country changing its policy of pursuing, in parallel, both economic reconstruction and the strengthening of its nuclear capability.
　経済再建と核戦力強化の二兎(にと)を追う「並進路線」を変える兆しは見られない。

As long as North Korea continues to pursue nuclear and missile development, international economic sanctions against the country will not be relaxed. The country will not be successful in wooing any foreign investment or foreign tourists.
　だが、核・ミサイル開発を続ける限り、北朝鮮への経済制裁は緩和されない。外国からの投資や観光客誘致の成果は上がるまい。

The North Korean people’s frustration will grow as economic hardships continue. The danger of the country collapsing from within is growing.
　経済の困窮によって、国民の不満は高まる。内部から崩壊に向かうリスクは増すばかりだ。

In its efforts to develop the northeastern part of China by helping stabilize North Korea, Beijing has been urging Pyongyang to carry out reforms and open its market. The execution of Jang, who had assumed the pivotal role in this scheme, is probably a major blow to China’s influence.
　中国は、北朝鮮を安定化させて中国東北部の開発につなげようと、改革・開放を促してきた。その中心人物でもあった張氏の処刑は、大きな誤算だろう。

The destabilization of a despotic state developing nuclear weapons could lead to the outbreak of domestic turmoil. This is an important phase when Japan should prepare itself for any emergency by firmly maintaining the Japan-U.S. alliance and reinforcing its defense capability.
　核武装する独裁国家の不安定化は、内乱など暴発の危険を伴う。日米同盟を堅持し、防衛力を強化して備えるべき重要な局面だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 17, 2013)
（2013年12月17日01時35分 読売新聞）