Pompeo Briefs Japan’s Kono on Visit to N. Korea

October 9, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Monday that he has been briefed by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the outcome of his visit to North Korea on Sunday.

In a telephone conversation Monday night, Pompeo told Kono that he raised the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korean spies during his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday.

Kono and Pompeo agreed that their countries will cooperate further to realize the denuclearization of North Korea.

After the conversation, Kono told reporters that the U.S. secretary brought up the abduction issue directly to Kim. Kono declined to comment how the North Korean leader responded.

Kono did not say whether Pompeo and Kim discussed a possible summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim.

To Pompeo, North Korea expressed its readiness allow U.S. and other inspectors into its Punggye-ri nuclear test site to let them see that the site has been destructed as the communist country claims.

Kono termed the North Korean move as progress.

Also on Monday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Kenji Kanasugi, director-general of its Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, met with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun in Seoul on Sunday. Biegun accompanied Pompeo to North Korea. Jiji Press