North Korea Rejects Summit with Japan
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated that Japan had requested a summit without preconditions, which she would only embrace if Japan demonstrated readiness to a fresh beginning unfettered by past obsessions.
Bilateral ties have been tense due to various issues, including the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea in the early 2000s, Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945, and its history of forced labor and sexual slavery.
Japan’s Response
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida refused to directly respond to Kim’s comments, telling reporters that Japan would continue its efforts to resolve issues with North Korea based on existing policies.
After Japan brought up the subject of the kidnapped Japanese nationals and Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, Kim declared that Tokyo had “no courage at all” to alter history.
Abduction Issue
North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens decades earlier. Five abductees later returned to Japan, saying the others had died. But Tokyo believes 17 Japanese were abducted, and continues to investigate the fate of those who did not return.
Accusing Kishida of using bilateral ties as “political calculations,” Kim said her country would reject any talks with Tokyo.
