Kim Yo-jong, the director of the Department of Organization and Guidance of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, has rebuffed the possibility of a summit with Japan.
In a statement released on Monday through the Korean Central News Agency, Kim asserted that a North Korea-Japan summit cannot be realized simply because Japan desires it or has decided to pursue it.
Earlier, on March 19, during a summit in Washington D.C. between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump, Takaichi emphasized the need to address the issue of North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens. She expressed her intention to pursue a summit with Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party. President Trump voiced support for Japan’s efforts and pledged cooperation.
Kim, however, stressed that if the Japanese Prime Minister is attempting to resolve their unilateral agenda, which it does not even acknowledge, the national leadership has no intention of meeting or engaging with them. She maintained that there are no unresolved abduction issues to address.
She further stated that for the leaders of the two countries to meet, Japan must first commit to abandoning its outdated practices and habits. Kim added that it has nothing to discuss with a counterpart who remains trapped in obsolete thinking and unrealistic obstinacy. This statement appears to target Japan’s calls for U.S.-South Korea cooperation on the abduction issue, which North Korea does not recognize.
Kim concluded by saying that this is strictly her personal opinion, but she has no desire to see the Japanese Prime Minister visiting Pyongyang.