Japanese Man Detained in North Korea

August 12, 2018

Tokyo- A Japanese man has been detained in North Korea by local authorities, Japanese government officials said Saturday.

The man entered North Korea from China for travel and was detained in the western city of Nampo several days ago, according to an official.

Tokyo is responding to the case from the perspective of protecting Japanese nationals, another government official said.

The Japanese government is expected to hold negotiations with the North Korean side on the man's release.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has recently indicated his willingness to have talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with the aim of resolving the long-pending issue of Japanese citizens abducted by Pyongyang decades ago, while continuing to impose sanctions on the communist state.

Observers say the latest detention may be intended to rattle the Japanese government and will possibly affect the relationship between the two countries.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has been calling on the country's citizens to refrain from visiting North Korea. Jiji Press