President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said Wednesday they remain open to dialogue or a direct summit with North Korea over its nuclear ambitions and missile program.
Mr. Kishida said despite the “increasingly worrying situation,” the “window of discussion with North Korea is open.”
“That remains unchanged,” said Mr. Kishida, whose country sits to the east of North Korea across the Sea of Japan.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has been increasingly aggressive, firing off missile tests while cozying up to China and Russia.
He also raised tension in the region by closing off hopes of reconciliation with South Korea, saying unification is no longer possible.
Japanese officials recently said a summit with Mr. Kim is unlikely to occur soon, despite their willingness to talk.
Mr. Kishida and Mr. Biden said a sticking point is the abduction of numerous Japanese nationals by North Korean agents from 1977 to 1983.
North Korea has admitted to abducting more than a dozen Japanese nationals, and several were returned to Japan, though the situation remains a major source of diplomatic tension between the nations.
“We both agreed the DPRK must also address serious human rights and humanitarian concerns of the international community, including the immediate resolution of the abduction issue,” Mr. Biden said alongside Mr. Kishida at a White House press conference. “Seeking a dialogue with them is a good thing, a positive thing.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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