Tokyo (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Monday that she has requested a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to address the long-standing issue of Japanese citizens abducted by Pyongyang many years ago.
“We have already conveyed to North Korea our desire to hold a summit meeting,”
Takaichi stated on Monday during a rally calling for the return of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago.
“I want the leaders to face each other directly and achieve concrete results,”
Takaichi said.
“I am determined to break through and resolve the abduction issue during my tenure.”
“I will use any means necessary for this issue with the lives of the victims and our national sovereignty at stake,”
she added.
How many Japanese citizens were abducted by North Korea?
Japan reports that at least 17 of its citizens were abducted by North Korean agents during the late 1970s and 1980s. After denying these claims for years, North Korea finally acknowledged in 2002 that its agents had kidnapped 13 Japanese nationals. Five nationals were returned in 2002.
According to a 2014 UN report, the abductions seem to have been linked to North Korea’s espionage efforts. The kidnapped individuals were employed to train Pyongyang’s spies in Japanese language and customs.
Pyongyang disputes the total numbers reported, stating that some deaths were caused by traffic accidents, drownings, and suicides, and it regards the issue as resolved.
What steps has Takaichi taken since assuming office?
Since taking office, Takaichi has met with the families of the abductees twice, including a meeting with US President Donald Trump during his visit to Japan.
She has previously stated her commitment to fulfilling her mentor Shinzo Abe’s mission, the former Prime Minister who connected the abductees’ families with Trump during his first term as US president.
“The abduction is the priority of my cabinet,”
she said, reflecting the pledges of past prime ministers.
Several Japanese leaders have attempted but have not yet succeeded in holding direct talks with Kim over the issue.
When did the Japanese PM meet with the North Korean leader over the abductees issue?
In 2002, the two nations conducted an unprecedented summit when Japan’s then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi travelled to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, to meet with Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader Kim Jong Un and 5 nationals were returned in 2002.
That visit marked the first time a Japanese prime minister travelled to North Korea since the end of WWII.
It was also the first time North Korea admitted its involvement in the abductions, after years of denial. Kim Jong Il apologised at the time, stating that the agents responsible had been punished and promising to prevent such incidents in the future, according to Japanese government reports.
