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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced Monday that she has formally requested a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The primary goal of the proposed summit is to resolve the decades-old, sensitive issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang.
North Korea admitted in 2002 that its agents had kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and customs.
While five victims were returned following talks by former PM Junichiro Koizumi in the early 2000s, North Korea claims the others are dead. Tokyo believes at least 17 people were abducted.
Speaking at an awareness event in Tokyo, Takaichi stated her strong commitment to the issue, calling the abductions the “priority of my cabinet.”
She expressed resolve to meet Kim face-to-face “to build a new, fruitful relation between Japan and North Korea.”
Takaichi’s move follows years of unsuccessful attempts by previous Japanese leaders to hold direct, high-level talks.
To maintain international pressure, Japan has also sought support from the United States, including President Donald Trump, who recently met with families of the abductees in Tokyo.
Pyongyang has not yet publicly responded to Takaichi’s request for a summit.
