Abe ready to meet N. Korea's Kim 'unconditionally'
TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has offered to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ''unconditionally'' in a bid to restore diplomatic ties between the two historic foes, a daily said Thursday.
Abe, seen as a foreign policy hawk, has recently softened his rhetoric towards Pyongyang, calling for a summit with Kim to resolve an emotional row over past kidnappings of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang agents.
In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun on Wednesday, Abe said: ''I want to meet Chairman Kim Jong Un unconditionally and talk with him frankly with an open mind.''
''It is more than important for our country to be proactive in tackling the issue,'' the premier said.
''We can't break the shell of mutual distrust between Japan and North Korea unless I directly face Mr. Kim,'' he said.
''I hope that he is a leader who can make a decision strategically and flexibly on what is best for his nation,'' he added.
Kim met Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week after multiple meetings with US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in.
Abe also told the Japanese newspaper that he had asked Trump to help resolve the abduction issue when they held talks at the White House on Friday.
After years of denial, North Korea admitted in 2002 that it had taken 13 Japanese civilians and released what it said were the five survivors, saying eight others had died.
Campaigners, however, believe the disappearance of up to 470 Japanese may be linked to North Korea.
North Korean authorities have given no public indication of any willingness to meet Abe.