The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has expressed optimism that relations between North Korea and Japan could improve in days to come. Kim Yo Jong hoped that one day Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could visit Pyongyang.
This comes days after Japanese PM Fumio Kishida sought a summit with North Korea without any preconditions.
Jong in a statement issued on state media indicated that the summit would be possible, if Japan “does not lay such a stumbling block on the already settled abduction issue.”
Japan had accused Korea of abducting 17 of its citizens in the 1970 and 80s, five of whom returned home in 2002.
Pyongyang says that the issue is settled and claims that eight of the abductees have died and the other four were never in its country.
“It is my opinion that if Japan makes a political decision to open up a new way of mending the relations through its courteous behaviour and trustworthy action on the basis of courageously breaking with anachronistic hostility and unattainable desire and recognising each other, the two countries can open up a new future together,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried on the Korean Central News Agency and reported by Reuters.
Her comments come a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a rare message expressed sympathy and condolences for the victims of an earthquake in Japan.
While North Korea is trying to improve relations with Japan, it has upped the ante against South Korea.
Last week North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his country has the legal right to annihilate South Korea. Describing Seoul as “enemy No.1,” Kim said that he would never hold dialogue or negotiations with South Korea and that the only way there can be lasting peace in the region is when the powerful military in the North is ready for any eventuality.
