Japan mulling possibility of summit talks with N. Korea

March 14, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government has started considering whether it is possible to arrange talks between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Japanese government officials said Wednesday.

Abe is expected to make a careful judgment on the matter, after examining the likelihood of North Korea taking specific actions toward denuclearization.

Talks between Abe and Kim would be the first Japan-North Korea summit since then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the reclusive state in May 2004 to meet Kim Jong Il, the father of its current leader. The Koizumi-Kim meeting followed one in September 2002.

"We'll consider how we should respond from the perspective of our policy of taking the most effective action in order to bring about a comprehensive resolution of the abduction, nuclear and missile issues," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference.

Speaking to reporters in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Fumio Kishida, chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, said it must not be forgotten that resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago is an important task.

On Tuesday, Abe held talks at his office with Suh Hoon, head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, who traveled to North Korea last week to meet with its current leader. For the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Abe and Suh agreed to continue their countries' close cooperation as well as trilateral collaboration also involving the United States.

The Japanese government is concerned that Tokyo, while dealing with the abduction issue, may be left behind as Pyongyang promotes dialogue with Seoul and Washington.

At the same time, there is skepticism within the Japanese government about North Korea's readiness to achieve denuclearization.

"We cannot plan ahead before seeing the results of North Korea's dialogue with the South and with the United States," a Japanese government official said.

Asked at a press conference on Tuesday whether Suh had any message from Kim to the Japanese government, Suga, Japan's top government spokesman, only said he will refrain from commenting on details. Jiji Press