Kishida: "North Korea-Japan Summit? Nothing Decided Yet"

"Summit Talks Important to Resolve All Issues with North Korea"
Minister Hayashi: "We Are Making Efforts Through Various Routes"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated on the 25th that “nothing has been decided yet” regarding the possibility of a North Korea-Japan summit.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is attending the Tokyo House of Councillors Budget Committee on the 25th and responding to questions.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to Kyodo News, Prime Minister Kishida met with reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence that evening and, when asked about the statement released by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, who said that North Korea had received a proposal for a summit from Japan, he said, “I am aware” and added, “A summit is important to resolve all issues with North Korea.”

He particularly emphasized regarding the possibility of a North Korea-Japan summit that “it is a matter involving the other party” and “nothing has been decided yet.”

Earlier, during the Upper House Budget Committee session that day, when asked about Kim Yo-jong’s statement, Kishida replied, “I do not know,” but it appears he was later briefed on the matter.

In his response to the Diet, Kishida said, “As I have said before, a summit is important to resolve various issues such as the relationship between Japan and North Korea and the abduction issue, and we are taking various measures toward North Korea at the Prime Minister’s direct level.”

Kim Yo-jong, in a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency that day, said, “Recently, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida conveyed to us through another channel his intention to meet directly with the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the earliest possible time.”

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, explained at a regular press conference that when asked about the North Korea-Japan summit, “We are constantly making efforts through various routes and will continue to do so.”

Regarding North Korea’s claim that “since the abduction issue has already been resolved, it should not be raised if a North Korea-Japan summit is to be held,” Hayashi emphasized, “We can never accept North Korea’s claim that the abduction issue has already been resolved.”

Hayashi added, “For our country (Japan), there is no change in the policy to comprehensively resolve various issues such as abductions, nuclear, and missiles in accordance with the North Korea-Pyongyang Declaration.”

The North Korea-Pyongyang Declaration was announced in 2002 after then-Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited North Korea and held talks with Chairman Kim Jong-il of the National Defense Commission. The declaration included four points: promotion of normalization talks, compensation based on reflection on past history, prevention of recurrence of regrettable issues such as abductions, and building a cooperative relationship to resolve nuclear and missile issues.