Japan's Koizumi Diverts Scrutiny ; North Korea Trip Pushes Aside Scandal Before Elections
The Washington Times › May 28, 2004
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Summary
Many had expected Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to visit North Korea in June, a month before the House of Councilors elections, and to bring back family members of five kidnapped Japanese to "visit" their native land.
But soon after it was reported that Mr. Koizumi was among more than 100 lawmakers who had not paid their national pension premiums, he rushed off to Pyongyang during the weekend, and his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il swept the nonpayment of retirement contributions off Page 1.See the full content of this document
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Japan's Koizumi Diverts Scrutiny ; North Korea Trip Pushes Aside Scandal Before Elections
"That is what he is good at," said professor Akikazu Hashimoto at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. "He keeps doing things like that - is that how a national leader should behave?"
Mr. Koizumi returned to Japan with five children of the kidnapped Japanese. Some members of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and familie...See the full content of this document
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