DPRK rules out summit with Japan

SEOUL — The government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will “reject any contact and negotiations with Japan” over the prospect of a summit between the two countries, a senior DPRK official said on Tuesday, just one day after urging the neighboring country to make a political decision for the improvement of bilateral ties.

The DPRK-Japan summit is “not a matter of concern” as “Japan has no courage to change history, promote regional peace and stability and take the first step for the fresh DPRK-Japan relations,” Kim Yo-jong, vice-department-director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said in the second statement in two days carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Kim said Japan had clarified its stance through a news conference of its Chief Cabinet Secretary on Monday that it can never accept the fact that the abduction issue was settled.

She complained that the Japanese raised the issue of the DPRK nuclear and missile programs, saying it has nothing to do with Japan, and accused the country of “trying to interfere in and take issue with the exercise of sovereignty concerning the DPRK’s legitimate self-defense”.

Stating the DPRK government has clearly understood once again the attitude of Japan, the DPRK senior official said: “The DPRK side will pay no attention to, and reject any contact and negotiations with the Japanese side.”

Kim said in a statement issued by the KCNA on Monday that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently conveyed his intention to meet leader meet DPRK’s top leader Kim Jong-un in person as soon as possible. Regarding the possibility of a top meeting, Kim urged the neighboring country to make a political decision for a strategic option that conformed to its overall interests in a show of its true intention to improve bilateral relations.