Takenori Kanzaki, the leader of ruling coalition member New Komeito, said Friday international pressure is needed to force North Korea to give up its nuclear development program.
"Japan, the United States and South Korea should join together and liaise with China and Russia. . . . We must apply international pressure (on Pyongyang) to give up the development program," Kanzaki said in a speech made on a street in central Tokyo.
On U.N. inspections of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, Kanzaki said he is waiting to see a report to be submitted to the U.N. Security Council by the end of this month.
"I hope the issue will be resolved peacefully and diplomatically," he said.