News Kim Jong Un's sister: Kishida visit to DPRK possible

[thomas]

The sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, expressed an optimistic perspective on future relations between North Korea and Japan, implying that PM Kishida might one day visit Pyongyang. She stated that the two countries "can open up a new future together" if Tokyo takes specific actions, including moving on from the long-standing issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s. However, this potential improvement in ties comes with the caveat of the abduction issue, which has made Japan suspicious of North Korean intentions.

In 2002, North Korea acknowledged sending agents to abduct 13 Japanese individuals during the 1970s and 1980s, coercing them into providing training for its spies in Japanese language and customs. While Japan has made efforts to resolve this issue, doubts still linger regarding the official recognition of the number of abduction victims. Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang in 2002 to normalize relations and offer economic assistance to North Korea, but the diplomacy broke down after North Korea remained cagey about the actual number of abduction victims.

But Kim Yo Jong said North Korea's leadership has had no interest in interacting with Tokyo so far. Junichiro Koizumi became the first Japanese prime minister to make a trip to Pyongyang when he visited North Korea in 2002. He revisited the country in 2004 and the government's efforts led to five abductees returning to Japan. Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties, but Koizumi signed a historic declaration with the late leader Kim Jong Il, father of Kim Jong Un, on 17 September 2002.

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North Korean leader's sister says visit by Japan prime minister possible

Kishida must not make past abductions an issue, Kim Yo Jong says

asia.nikkei.com

 

[thomas]

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un, who has extended a rare olive branch to Japan, is signalling a potential thaw in relations. She stated there is no obstacle to closer ties with Japan and even suggested that PM Kishida might visit Pyongyang. Kishida, despite Japan's lack of formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, has expressed interest in meeting Kim Jong Un to address the issue of Japanese civilians abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Kim Yo Jong emphasized that if Japan takes a political decision to improve relations based on mutual respect and respectful behaviour, the two countries can forge a new future together. This conciliatory tone contrasts with her previous remarks, where she criticized Japan and other nations for their stance on North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

U.S. Senior Official for North Korea Jung Pak told reporters Washington supports any diplomacy with Kim's government, which has not responded to repeated U.S. offers to engage in talks without preconditions since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. "They've shut their borders since January 2020 and we support... any diplomacy there," Pak said in a briefing at the State Department. "Any kind of diplomacy that DPRK does, that's not Russia, is a positive thing," she said in a reference to Pyongyang's growing cooperation with Moscow that has alarmed Washington. Another U.S. official has said Washington wanted Japan to ensure it had "smoothed over" a possible meeting between Kim and Kishida with South Korea. The U.S. has worked to develop three-way coordination of policy on North Korea and other security issues between itself, Japan and South Korea. Pak said she could not say whether North Korea's willingness to speak to Japan could be linked to Seoul's recent move to establish diplomatic ties with the North's longtime ally Cuba, but added: "I think Pyongyang has always been interested in driving a wedge in our relationships or in the relationships between Japan and other countries and Korea and other countries."

North Korea leader’s sister says Japan PM's comments positive -KCNA | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

North Korea-Japan summit push gains steam after remarks by Kim’s sister

A visit by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Pyongyang could materialize, but only if Tokyo met several caveats, Kim Yo Jong said.

www.japantimes.co.jp