Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Monday that a summit between her brother and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will not happen if Tokyo continues what she called an “anachronistic” approach.
Her remarks came after Takaichi said she had conveyed to US President Donald Trump her “strong desire” to meet Kim during a recent meeting in Washington.
“But this is not something that can happen simply because Japan wants it,” Kim Yo Jong said, adding that Tokyo must first abandon its outdated “practice and habit” for any summit to take place.
While she did not spell out what she meant, Kim had previously suggested that any meeting would depend on Japan accepting North Korea’s nuclear programme and setting aside the long-running issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents.
In her latest statement, she also said she did not want to see the Japanese prime minister visit Pyongyang, though she framed the remark as a “personal position,” signalling pressure on Tokyo to make concessions.
Analysts say Pyongyang may be seeking improved ties with Japan to weaken coordination between the United States and its allies, while Tokyo remains focused on resolving the abduction cases dating back to the 1970s and 1980s.
North Korea admitted during a 2002 summit between Kim Jong Il and then Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi that it had abducted 13 Japanese nationals, allowing five to return. Japan believes more victims may still be alive.
Koizumi’s follow-up visit in 2004 marked the last formal talks between the two countries.
Prospects for renewed diplomacy remain slim, with North Korea refusing to re-engage with Washington and Seoul since 2019. Although Trump has repeatedly signalled willingness to resume dialogue after his earlier meetings with Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang has insisted the US must abandon its push for denuclearisation before talks can restart.
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