North Korea’s Kim Ready for Talks with Japan’s Abe

June 14, 2018

Tokyo- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled his readiness to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, informed sources said Thursday.

During the summit in Singapore on Tuesday, Trump raised the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago. Kim did not repeat his country's usual claim that the issue had already been resolved.

Abe regards this as a positive signal, the sources said. He conveyed his determination to resolve the issue at a meeting with members of the families of abduction victims at the prime minister's office Thursday afternoon.

In the summit, Trump said North Korea should negotiate with Japan if it wants economic assistance from Japan, said the sources with expertise on Japan-North Korea affairs.

Trump is also believed to have explained Japan's position that the country will extend no economic aid to North Korea unless the abduction, nuclear and missile issues are resolved in a comprehensive manner.

In response, Kim indicated his readiness to meet with Abe, and Trump offered to mediate between the Japanese and North Korean leaders, the sources said.

Japanese government officials are discussing the idea of proposing a bilateral summit with North Korea on the fringe of an Eastern Economic Forum meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, in September, which may be attended by Kim.

At a news conference Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Trump briefed Abe on his exchange with Kim on the abduction issue, but Suga decline to elaborate.

Japan must resolve the abduction issue as it "directly faces North Korea, with the strong support from Trump," Suga said. "With that determination, we are taking various steps." Jiji Press