North-Korea Japan Meeting Completely Canceled? ... Sudden Possibility of Success

North Korea Mentions North Korea-Japan Summit Three Times
Refused Meeting but Also Analyzed Final Ultimatum
Summit Benefits Not Only for Japan but Also North Korea

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Yo-jong, Vice Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, made it clear that North Korea's policy is to refuse contact and negotiations with Japan, making a North Korea-Japan summit difficult to achieve for the time being. However, North Korea unusually showed a conciliatory gesture toward Japan this year and expressed willingness for behind-the-scenes negotiations for a summit, and Japan is also interested in holding a summit, so there is a possibility that the situation may change in the future.

In a statement released on the 26th through the Korean Central News Agency, Vice Director Kim said, "We will ignore and refuse any contact or negotiations with the Japanese side," effectively indicating that North Korea does not intend to pursue a summit with Japan. The day before, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida publicly proposed holding a summit, engaging in a sort of 'push and pull,' but within a day, North Korea changed its stance to 'refusal of contact and negotiations.'

This is considered a typical North Korean diplomatic strategy. The logic is that since they have nothing to lose, if a North Korea-Japan summit is to be realized, Japan must make a political decision to set aside the abduction issue. However, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi directly refuted North Korea's claim that the abduction issue had been resolved, which is interpreted as leaving North Korea no choice but to adopt a stance of refusing to meet.

However, Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies interpreted Vice Director Kim's statement the previous day as a final ultimatum to Japan, analyzing that "the tone of declaring suspension of contact and refusal of negotiations, along with the relatively mild criticism of Japan, may leave room for contact between the two sides."

North Korea has continuously shown conciliatory gestures toward Japan this year. On New Year's Day, when the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck Japan, Chairman Kim unusually addressed Prime Minister Kishida as "Your Excellency" and sent a message of condolence. Earlier this month, unlike previous years, North Korea did not issue a separate statement criticizing Japan on the March 1st Movement anniversary. A government official said, "Although it won't be easy, we cannot completely rule out the possibility of a sudden North Korea-Japan summit."