Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister offers rare olive branch to Japan as Seoul-Pyongyang ties weaken

The tone is a marked change from her comments nearly two years ago when accused Japan and other nations of criticising Pyongyang for ICBM tests
While North Korea appears to be warming up to Japan, its ties with Seoul have deteriorated, with Kim Jong-un saying the North had legal right to annihilate South Korea

North Korea

BloombergandKyodo

Published: 5:24pm, 16 Feb 2024

Why you can trust SCMP

Japan is “paying attention” to remarks by the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suggesting a visit to Pyongyang by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could be possible, the top government spokesman said on Friday.

At a press conference, chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to elaborate on Kim Yo-jong’s statement, which was carried by North Korea’s state-run media on Thursday, citing the possible negative impact on negotiations regarding the past abductions of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang.

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered a rare opening for Japan, saying she saw a positive tone in comments from Kishida, who is seeking a summit.

Kim Yo-jong indicated a meeting of leaders would be possible if Japan “does not lay such a stumbling block as the already settled abduction issue,” she said.

“It is my opinion that if Japan makes a political decision to open up a new way of mending the relations through its courteous behaviour and trustworthy action on the basis of courageously breaking with anachronistic hostility and unattainable desire and recognising each other, the two countries can open up a new future together,” the statement said.

Japan PM’s bid for talks on North Korea abductions will be ‘political suicide’

The tone is a marked change from comments she issued nearly two years ago when she lumped Japan in a bunch of “sinister” nations she accused of raising rabble at the United Nations to criticise Pyongyang for the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. She has also unleashed speeches with fiery and threatening language directed at South Korea’s leaders.

Last month, leader Kim Jong-un also offered an olive branch when he sent a rare message to Kishida expressing sympathy and condolences for the victims of an earthquake in Japan.

While North Korea appears to be warming up slightly to Japan, it has driven a wedge deeper between itself and Seoul. Last week, Kim Jong-un said he has the legal right to annihilate South Korea, in his latest move to threaten his neighbour after starting the year by eliminating the concept of peaceful unification from his state’s national policy.

02:43

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says he has lawful right to annihilate South Korea

Kishida has long said he is willing to meet Kim Jong-un without preconditions. Last week, he said his government has made “various, concrete” efforts for a summit with the aim to resolve the long-standing issue of Japanese abducted by North Korea, Kyodo News reported.

Tokyo officially lists 17 of its citizens as having been abducted by North Korea in the 1970 and 80s, five of whom returned home in 2002. North Korea considers the issue settled and has blasted Japan for repeatedly raising it. North Korea claims that eight of the abductees have died, and the other four were never in its country.

While a summit with Kim Jong-un could provide a boost in the sagging support rate for Kishida’s government, it would be nearly impossible for him not to focus on the abductee issue, which has played a prominent role in the priorities of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party for years.

What to know about South Korea-Japan ties as Yoon, Kishida meet

Before the statement from Kim Yo-jong, a senior US State Department official charged with managing issues with Pyongyang said Kishida has mentioned a summit before and Washington would support talks.

“We encourage any kind of dialogue,” Jung Pak said.

North Korea has a habit of seeking concessions for engagement with countries it sees as adversaries, such as Japan. It has shunned offers over the past several years from the US, Japan and South Korea for talks and appears to be receiving significant support from Russia in recent months in return for arms sent by Kim’s regime to help President Vladimir Putin in his war on Ukraine.

In 2002, Junichiro Koizumi became the first Japanese prime minister to visit North Korea. Soon after that, five Japanese kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1978 were reunited with their families after arriving in Tokyo. Koizumi and then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il also agreed to work to establish formal diplomatic relations but that never came to fruition.