International security

Moon tells Abe that North Korea is willing to meet with Japan

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 29 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is willing to hold talks with Japan at any time.

In a telephone call, Moon briefed Abe on his historic summit on April 27 with Kim, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, in which he also raised the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea.

According to the South Korean presidential office, Kim told Moon in their summit meeting that North Korea is ready for talks with Japan.

“Prime Minister Abe is intent on dialogue with North Korea, and, in particular, is hoping that Japan and North Korea normalize diplomatic relations by settling their past histories,” Moon told Kim.

After the discussion with Moon, Abe told reporters in Tokyo, “I was told by President Moon that he talked about the abduction issue and Japan-North Korea relations to Chairman Kim and conveyed my ideas to him.”