TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that she has requested to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve the long-standing issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang decades ago. After years of denial, North Korea admitted in 2002 that its agents had kidnapped 13 Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 80s, who were used to train Pyongyang’s spies in Japanese language and customs. Tokyo believes North Korea abducted at least 17 Japanese nationals, while others say many more might have been taken to Pyongyang.
Takaichi said that she had requested a summit meeting with Kim Jong Un. “In order to build a new, fruitful relation between Japan and North Korea, I am resolved to meet face-to-face with Chairman Kim Jong Un,” she said.
Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, suggested setting up liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang to move the issue forward, but they were never materialised. “I will use any means necessary for this issue with the lives of the victims and our national sovereignty at stake,” Takaichi said. — AFP
