Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, announced her intention to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a move no Japanese leader has attempted in over 20 years.
“We have already conveyed to North Korea our desire to hold a summit,” Takaichi said on Monday during a gathering focused on returning Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago, reports CNN.
The issue of abducted citizens remains one of the most sensitive unresolved points between the two neighbors, whose history of colonization and conflict has historically hampered bilateral negotiations.
“I want the leaders to confront each other directly and achieve concrete results. I am determined to address and resolve the abduction issue during my tenure,” the Japanese prime minister declared.
Japan reports that at least 17 of its citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the late 1970s and 1980s. Five were returned in 2002. According to a 2014 UN report, these abductions were part of North Korea’s espionage program.
North Korea disputes the total number of abducted individuals, claiming some died in accidents, drowned, or committed suicide, and considers the issue closed.
Since taking office, Takaichi has met twice with families of the abducted, including once alongside former U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to Japan, underscoring her commitment to resolving this decades-old dispute.
Bold takeaway: Japan’s new leadership signals a historic push for direct dialogue with North Korea, potentially reshaping decades of strained relations.
