SEOUL, South Korea: Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected a request of meeting on Monday from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Japenese Prime Minister has expressed interest in a summit with her brother.
However, she stated that such a meeting was unlikely without a significant policy shift by Tokyo.
In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo Jong disclosed Kishida’s desire to meet with Kim Jong Un at the earliest opportunity. The relationship between Japan and North Korea has been marred by historical grievances, including Japan’s brutal occupation of the Korean peninsula and North Korea’s abduction of Japanese citizens.
Kishida has expressed a willingness to change the dynamics between Tokyo and Pyongyang, even advocating for a meeting with Kim Jong Un without preconditions. Last month, Kim Yo Jong hinted at a potential invitation for the Japanese leader to visit North Korea in the future.
However, Kim Yo Jong emphasized that Japan’s political decisions would play a crucial role in shaping the future of bilateral relations. She criticized Japan’s interference in North Korea’s sovereign rights and its persistent focus on the abduction issue, which remains unresolved.
The abduction issue, dating back to the 1970s and ’80s, remains a contentious issue in Japan, with suspicions of more abductions than officially recognized. Analysts suggest that this issue could impede progress towards a summit between Kishida and Kim Jong Un.
Kim Yo Jong asserted that any meeting between the Japanese prime minister and North Korean leadership must be based on sincerity and strategic choices that serve the national interests of both countries. She highlighted the need for Japan to demonstrate political courage to improve regional peace and stability.
While past diplomatic efforts, such as former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit to Pyongyang in 2002, yielded some results, subsequent breakdowns in diplomacy underscore the challenges of resolving deep-seated grievances between Japan and North Korea.
