Japan’s PM Seeks Summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un: A Desperate Attempt to Boost Approval Ratings?

Reports have emerged that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan is pushing for a summit with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un to boost his approval ratings.

The Financial Times (FT) quoted U.S. and Japanese officials on the 13th (local time) as saying that Prime Minister Kishida is seeking a summit to resolve the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. This is seen as an attempt to turn the tide in the face of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s low approval ratings.

Since the earthquake in the Noto Peninsula on the 1st of last month, Prime Minister Kishida has been intensifying diplomatic efforts for a North Korea-Japan summit after North Korean Leader Kim unusually sent a message of condolences. Some Japanese officials view this as a positive signal. However, the FT reported that Japanese officials are wary that North Korea’s proposal could interfere with military cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

The U.S. is also optimistic about the push for a North Korea-Japan summit. According to the FT, U.S. officials said they would welcome high-level talks between North Korea and Japan if Japan can amicably agree on issues with South Korea in advance.

Many analyses suggest that Prime Minister Kishida is pushing for a North Korea-Japan summit to break through his low approval ratings. Following a political funding scandal in his Liberal Democratic Party, Kishida’s approval rating has fallen below 30%. Prime Minister Kishida is working to boost his approval ratings in this situation. It is also evaluated that his meeting with President Biden in April aims to increase his approval ratings.

Experts have analyzed that if the North Korea-Japan summit is successful, it could lead to a rise in support for candidate Kishida. Political analyst Masatoshi Honda said, “The abduction issue is of high national interest,” and “The only remaining diplomatic card to boost Prime Minister Kishida’s approval ratings is the North Korea-Japan relationship.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Kishida stated at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the 9th that the Japanese government is “actively working on various activities” related to the North Korea-Japan summit it promotes. He said, “Looking at the current state of North Korea-Japan relations, I strongly feel the need to change the situation boldly,” and “I will take the initiative to build relations between the leaders.”