Foreign Ministry to Split Northeast Asia Division in July

June 26, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it will split the Northeast Asia Division of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau into two divisions, effective on Sunday, respectively taking charge of issues relating to North and South Korea.

The First Northeast Asia Division will deal with South Korean affairs, while the Second Northeast Asia Division will address North Korean issues.

The reorganization reflects the need to strengthen Japan-South Korea cooperation and the increasing importance of handling issues regarding North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens and its nuclear and missile programs, the ministry said.

The plan to split the Northeast Asia Division was announced by Foreign Minister Taro Kono in April. Jiji Press