Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Monday signalled that a summit with Sanae Takaichi is off the table unless Japan changes what she called its “anachronistic” stance.
Her statement followed Takaichi’s recent remarks that she had expressed a “strong desire” to meet Kim Jong Un during talks with Donald Trump in Washington. However, Kim Yo Jong stressed that such a meeting cannot happen on Japan’s terms alone.
“A summit will not take place simply because Japan wants it,” she said, adding that Tokyo must first abandon its outdated approach if it expects progress in bilateral ties.
Although she did not spell out the specific policies in question, North Korea has consistently tied dialogue with Japan to contentious issues such as its nuclear programme and Tokyo’s position on the abduction of Japanese citizens.
The abduction issue remains a central obstacle. In a 2002 summit between Kim Jong Il and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Pyongyang admitted to abducting 13 Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. While five were allowed to return, Japan maintains that more victims may still be unaccounted for.
Kim Yo Jong also remarked that she does not wish to see the Japanese prime minister visit Pyongyang, though she described her comments as a “personal view,” suggesting they may be intended to pressure Tokyo rather than signal a final decision.
Diplomatic prospects remain limited, with North Korea largely disengaged from talks with the United States and South Korea in recent years. Although Trump has previously met Kim Jong Un three times between 2018 and 2019 and has indicated openness to renewed dialogue, Pyongyang continues to insist that Washington abandon its focus on denuclearisation.
For now, deep-rooted differences continue to hinder any breakthrough, leaving the chances of a North Korea–Japan summit uncertain.
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