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Rozman: Introduction | 5
answer before the Upper House of the Diet questioning the use of the term “aggression”
(shinryaku) for Japan’s wartime behavior. The security atmosphere was deteriorating. In
this context, Park Geun-hye visited Washington in early May, coordinating with Barack
Obama in support of further engagement with North Korea, but only on condition of new
commitment to denuclearization. In a tense region, Pyongyang could either restart talks
aimed at managing differences or light the spark that threatens greater instability. China
showed more interest in pressuring it to choose talks, but China also increased warnings
toward Japan that indicated impatience to change the status quo is China’s driving force.