North Korea announced on Monday that Japan’s prime minister has proposed a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. However, North Korea emphasized that the possibility of their first summit in about 20 years would hinge on Tokyo accepting North Korea’s weapons program and closing the chapter on past abductions of Japanese nationals.
Japan confirmed that it has been working to organize a bilateral summit but rejected North Korea’s conditions as unacceptable, making it unlikely that Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio would meet anytime soon.
Observers believe Kim seeks to enhance ties with Japan to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies, while Kishida aims to leverage progress on the abduction issue, a sensitive topic for Japan, to bolster his dwindling approval ratings at home.
In 2002, after admitting to abducting 13 Japanese nationals, North Korea allowed five to return home but claimed the rest had died. Japan suspects some are still alive and accuses North Korea of kidnapping more Japanese citizens.
Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who is also a senior official, revealed in a statement carried by state media that Kishida expressed his desire to meet Kim in person “as soon as possible” through an undisclosed channel.
She asserted that Japan-North Korea relations would not progress as long as Kishida’s administration fixates on the abduction issue and obstructs North Korea’s “exercise of our sovereign right,” likely referring to the North’s weapon tests. Merely agreeing to a summit is insufficient to mend relations fraught with distrust and misunderstandings, she added.
Earlier in February, Kim Yo Jong had conveyed a similar message, signaling North Korea’s willingness to invite Kishida to Pyongyang if Tokyo refrained from opposing North Korea’s legitimate right to self-defense and the abduction issue.
Kishida, speaking in a parliamentary session, stressed that meeting with Kim is vital to resolving the abduction matter. He mentioned that his government has been exploring various avenues to discuss the potential summit. Japanese government spokesperson Hayashi Yoshimasa later emphasized that dropping the abduction issue in talks with North Korea is “unacceptable.”
North Korea and Japan lack diplomatic relations, with their history tainted by North Korea’s nuclear program, the abduction issue, and Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945.
Speculations about a fresh summit arise amidst concerns that North Korea might escalate its weapon testing activities in a year marked by elections in the U.S. and South Korea. Experts suggest North Korea aims to leverage an enlarged weapons arsenal to secure concessions from the U.S. following sanctions imposed due to its nuclear program.
While a Kim-Kishida summit seems improbable as Pyongyang appears unwilling to address its historical abduction of Japanese citizens and Tokyo cannot ease sanctions on North Korea, Kishida’s diplomatic efforts reflect his political urgency to address the abduction issue.
Ultimately, North Korea may contemplate potential economic assistance from Japan by normalizing ties, akin to the aid South Korea received in 1965 – estimated at $500 million or more.
North Korea’s state media reported earlier Monday that Kim Jong Un oversaw a tank drill, encouraging readiness in the face of rising tensions with South Korea. South Korean officials have raised concerns about possible provocations in border zones.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry disclosed close coordination with Japan on Tokyo-Pyongyang interactions and the North Korean nuclear issue. The three countries – South Korea, the U.S., and Japan – are collaborating to steer North Korea towards denuclearization.
Japan and South Korea, crucial U.S. allies, jointly host around 80,000 American troops. The leaders of these countries convened for the first standalone trilateral summit at Camp David last year, pledging to solidify trilateral cooperation.
North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities pose a significant security threat to Japan, South Korea, and the U.S., prompting expanded trilateral training exercises in response to Pyongyang’s weapons tests since 2022.
Kishida’s forthcoming state visit to Washington in April is anticipated to bolster the Japan-U.S. alliance further, with North Korea expected to be a key topic during discussions.