Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday called on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to jointly overcome their mutual distrust, as he confirmed ongoing efforts to arrange a Japan-North Korea summit.
In a television interview, Mr. Abe said his government has contacted the North Korean side “through various channels” in a bid to arrange a meeting with Mr. Kim.
An emotive issue
During historic talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore on Tuesday, Mr. Kim reportedly said he was open to a meeting with Mr. Abe.
Japan wants the talks to push the emotive issue of citizens abducted by the North decades ago, which has seen little movement despite a whirlwind of international diplomacy in recent months.
“I want to take a step forward and resolve the (abduction) issue after each of us breaks our mutual distrust,” Mr. Abe said. “I have a strong sense of mission to resolve the issue under my own responsibility,” he added. Mr. Abe has already said publicly that he would be willing to meet Mr. Kim in order to resolve the abduction issue.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is considering talks with his North Korean counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting of ASEAN envoys in Singapore starting in late July, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
During the interview, Mr. Abe expressed a readiness to finance denuclearisation costs in North Korea. “It is natural for Japan and other countries which would benefit from easing fears of nuclear weapons to bear the costs,” Mr. Abe said.
The Japanese government has officially listed 17 people as abductees, but suspects dozens more were snatched.
