North Korea Proposes Summit with Japan, Demands End to Hostility

## North Korea Proposes Summit with Japan, Demands End to Hostility

North Korea has proposed a summit between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. However, North Korea demands that Japan stop criticizing its weapons tests and drop the issue of abducted Japanese citizens before any progress can be made.

Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister and senior official, stated that Japan's actions would be seen as hostile and that Japan would be considered an enemy if it continues to interfere in North Korea's affairs. She emphasized that Kishida's desire to meet with North Korean leadership would not be fulfilled simply because he wants it.

This proposal follows a similar statement made by Kim Yo Jong in February, where she expressed openness to improving relations with Japan under certain conditions. Experts believe that North Korea's proposal is an attempt to weaken the trilateral security partnership between Tokyo, Seoul, and Washington.

North Korea and Japan lack diplomatic ties, and their relations remain strained due to North Korea's nuclear program, the abduction of Japanese nationals, and Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.