Japan's Takaichi Asks Trump, "Help Me Meet Kim Jong Un"

Request made at last month's U.S.-Japan summit... aimed at resolving the abduction issue

Yonhap News Agency

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reportedly asked U.S. President Donald Trump at last month's U.S.-Japan summit to arrange a North Korea-Japan summit if a meeting between the United States and North Korea takes place in the future.

The Asahi Shimbun reported on October 7 that Takaichi told family members of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea and others at the Prime Minister's Office the previous day that she had made the request to Trump at last month's U.S.-Japan summit.

Takaichi reportedly asked Trump to convey to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un her willingness to meet with him if a U.S.-North Korea summit takes place. The Asahi Shimbun said Takaichi intends to meet Kim in person to discuss the abduction of Japanese citizens.

Since taking office, Takaichi has made resolving the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea a key priority and has repeatedly expressed her willingness to hold a summit with Kim.

Those who attended the meeting the previous day included family members of abductees, including Takuya Yokota, the younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977, as well as members of the bipartisan Association of Parliamentarians for the Rescue of Japanese Abductees.

After the meeting, Katsunobu Kato, a member of the association, told reporters that Takaichi had "secured a firm commitment of support for the abduction issue at the U.S.-Japan summit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.