North Korea has announced that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has proposed a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement was made by Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, who stated that Kishida conveyed his desire to meet Kim Jong Un in person through an unspecified channel.
Kim Yo Jong emphasized that North Korea will not engage in any meaningful dialogue with Japan unless Kishida's government addresses the issue of Japanese citizens abducted to North Korea in the past and ceases its opposition to North Korea's "exercise of sovereign rights," which likely refers to the country's weapons testing activities. She warned that Japan's continued hostility and interference in North Korea's affairs will result in it being considered an enemy.
Kim Yo Jong's statement echoes a similar one she made in February, where she expressed North Korea's willingness to improve relations with Japan but only if Tokyo abandons its criticism of North Korea's self-defense measures and drops the abduction issue, which North Korea claims has been resolved.
Kishida has previously stated his belief in the importance of a summit with Kim Jong Un, particularly in resolving the issue of abducted Japanese citizens. However, he has not yet responded to North Korea's latest announcement.
Some experts believe that North Korea's overtures to Japan are an attempt to weaken the trilateral security partnership between Tokyo, Seoul, and Washington. Kishida, on the other hand, may be seeking improved ties with North Korea to boost his declining approval ratings at home.
North Korea and Japan do not have diplomatic relations, and their relationship has been strained by North Korea's nuclear program, the abduction of Japanese nationals, and Japan's colonial rule over Korea from 1910 to 1945.