Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's efforts to hold face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, underlining his trust in Japan and affirming the positive significance of dialogue with North Korea.
"I have confidence in Japan," Biden told reporters during Kishida's state visit to Washington this week. "I think it's good to seek a dialogue with him. ”
According to British media on April 13, Kishida hopes to become the first Japanese leader in 20 years to hold a dialogue with nuclear-armed Pyongyang, and his motivation is mainly to solve the long-standing problem of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals in the 70s and 80s of the last century.
The abduction of the 17 Japanese citizens remains a big rock in Japan's heart to this day, with only five of them successfully returning home from previous summits. The fate of the remaining 12 kidnappers is still unknown, and their aging families have further encouraged Japan to speed up its operations.
Yokota, the protagonist of the kidnapping, was kidnapped at the age of 13, and her mother insisted on her daughter's return, even though North Korea claimed she had committed suicide. Last May, Kishida pledged to personally chair a high-level dialogue with North Korea to broker a summit, underscoring Japan's determination to address this humanitarian crisis.
However, North Korea has reacted ambiguously to Kishida's initiative. Kim Yo-jong, a powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in February that closer ties with Japan would not be an obstacle and even hinted that Kishida could visit Pyongyang one day. But subsequent statements showed that North Korea was not interested in the summit and rejected any possibility of dialogue.
The historical precedent of the 2002 summit between Japan and North Korea, especially the meeting between then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Kim Jong-il, offered a glimmer of hope for a solution. Despite his initial denials, Kim Jong Il acknowledged part of the abductions at the summit, a breakthrough. However, subsequent contacts stalled, and relations between Japan and North Korea deteriorated sharply as tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs grew.
Kishida's pursuit of dialogue with North Korea, while commendable, carries significant risks. With North Korea reluctant to discuss the abduction issue directly, Kishida risks returning without success, further worsening his domestic approval ratings.