"We believe that the DPRK's position that the issue of abducted citizens has been completely resolved is completely unacceptable," Hayashi stressed. The Secretary-General of Japan** also noted that Japan will continue to seek solutions to the issue of abducted citizens and issues related to Pyongyang's nuclear missile program, "Our position on this has not changed." But he did not comment further on the subject of Kim's remarks.
Kim Yo-jong previously said that if Japan shows sincerity in improving relations with North Korea, Prime Minister Kishida's willingness will be positively evaluated, and he may even make a visit. She also clarified that the North Korean leadership is currently not interested in improving relations between South Korea and Japan. She made it clear that this is her personal opinion and does not represent the position of North Korea.
In response to Kishida's remarks in the National Assembly, he once again stressed the need to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to resolve the issue of DPRK-Japan relations.
The abduction of Japanese by North Korean intelligence has been a sensitive issue in relations between the two countries and one of the unresolved pain points between the two countries. In 2002, Pyongyang admitted for the first time the abduction of 13 Japanese citizens and allowed five of them to return to Japan. But the rest are allegedly dead, and the Japanese side doubts this. In May 2014, Japan and North Korea** agreed to re-investigate the matter, but the commission was subsequently disbanded at the initiative of Pyongyang.
This historical issue between Japan and the DPRK remains unresolved, and more cooperation and sincerity are needed to resolve it. Do you think relations between Japan and North Korea can improve? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!