Lawmaker Inoki to visit Pyongang

September 6, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese House of Councillors lawmaker Antonio Inoki said Tuesday that he will visit North Korea from Thursday.

The visit will coincide with North Korea's national foundation day on Saturday. He is making arrangements to hold talks with officials of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Inoki disclosed the plan during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Upper House.

"We shouldn't close the door (for dialogue) under any circumstances," Inoki told the meeting. "It would be good if we could start a dialogue at times like this, when the situation is tense."

As North Korea has carried out its sixth nuclear test and repeatedly launched missiles, Inoki's visit is expected to draw criticism from both the ruling and opposition camps.

Inoki, an unaffiliated lawmaker, will leave Japan on Wednesday and enter Pyongyang on Thursday via Beijing. He plans to hold a press conference after returning to Japan on Monday.

Inoki visited North Korea and held talks with dignitaries in September last year. Jiji Press