TOKYO: Japan responded coolly on Friday to a suggestion from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister that Pyongyang would be open to improving ties, with a long-running kidnapping issue a major obstacle.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to change the relationship between Tokyo and Pyongyang, and Kim Yo Jong hinted on Thursday at a possible future invitation for the Japanese leader to visit North Korea. Tokyo’s top government spokesman said only that Japan was “paying attention” to Kim Yo Jong’s comments.

“Kishida has said he wants to have negotiations... towards realising a summit with President Kim Jong Un,” Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Friday.

However, North Korea’s “argument that the abduction issue has been resolved is fully unacceptable” he said. Kim Yo Jong said in a statement on Thursday that relations had deteriorated “since Japan has persistently raised as a precondition (to talks) the abduction issue, which had already been settled”.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024