Japanese PM speaks in favor of holding meeting with DPRK leader

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, during his keynote speech in parliament, stated the need to hold negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to resolve problems in relations with Pyongyang, Report informs referring to TASS.

“To resolve various problems related to the DPRK, it is necessary to hold negotiations with the country’s leader Kim Jong-un. The study of the relevant issue is progressing at a high level under my personal control,” Kishida emphasized. Among the problems in relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang, the prime minister named the development of the DPRK’s missile and nuclear programs and the kidnapping of Japanese citizens.

Kishida, like his predecessors in recent years, has repeatedly stated his readiness to personally meet with Kim Jong-un. South Korean media previously reported that representatives of the DPRK and Japan held at least two meetings in third countries in June 2023 to discuss the issue of kidnapped Japanese citizens. Japanese authorities have not officially confirmed this.