Kishida’s Aim for U.S. Visit: A Summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

Ahead of his official visit to the United States, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revealed that he is making high-level efforts to arrange a summit with the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un.

In an interview with CNN on the 7th (local time), Kishida said, “The Japanese government is making high-level efforts to hold a summit with North Korea to resolve unresolved issues and to promote stable relations between the two countries.”

The unresolved issues appear to refer to the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and threats. Kishida has previously expressed his intention to resolve the issue of Japanese abductees through a summit with North Korea, but North Korea maintains that this issue has already been resolved.

Kishida, who plans to present a groundbreaking security cooperation plan with the United States at the US-Japan summit on the 10th, emphasized that Japan’s financial strength is also essential for the alliance with the United States.

He stated, “We are at a historic turning point as we witness Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing situations in the Middle East and East Asia. That’s why Japan has decided to strengthen its defense capabilities and significantly change its security policy.” He also targeted China, saying, “There are unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in both the East China Sea and the South China Sea.”

He further noted that building Japan’s deterrent force and military response capabilities is also essential for the alliance with the United States, saying, “I hope the United States understands this and cooperates to promote peace and stability in the region.”

Kishida was reticent about former President Donald Trump’s potential return to power, as he champions America First. However, he did say, “I think it’s important to ensure that American citizens recognize the importance of US-Japan relations, regardless of the election results.”

Kishida will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on the 10th, followed by a speech to the US Congress and a trilateral summit with the US and the Philippines on the 11th.