U.S. Government Skeptical of North Korea’s Terms for Japan Reconciliation

The U.S. government has shown a cautious stance towards the message from Kim Yo Jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers’ Party, about improving relations with Japan.

According to C-SPAN and other sources on the 20th (local time), State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, when asked that day in the briefing to comment on Kim’s recent message to Japan that improvements in North Korea-Japan relations could be possible if demands for denuclearization and the issue of the abduction of Japanese citizens are dropped, said, “I think the precondition (for improving North Korea-Japan relations) is ‘pretty big.'”

Miller went on to say, “Before an internal review, I will watch the reaction of the Japanese government,” adding, “Although I have not yet seen the reaction of the Japanese government, our policy of complete denuclearization of North Korea or the Korean Peninsula will continue and will not change.”

Earlier, Kim Yo Jong said in a speech on the 15th, “If Japan stops unfairly attacking our right to self-defense and does not put the already resolved abduction issue as an obstacle to bilateral relations, there would be no reason why the two countries cannot get closer, and the day may come when (Prime Minister Kishida) can visit Pyongyang.”

The Japanese government also acknowledged the possibility of North Korea-Japan talks. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during his appearance at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the 9th, responding to a question about promoting a North Korea-Japan summit, “We are specifically engaged in various activities. That’s the situation.”

The U.S. Department of Defense is also in broad agreement. Sabrina Singh, Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of Defense, said in a briefing in response to a question about whether they support dialogue between North Korea and Japan, “We support diplomatic contact with North Korea, and we have said that we will pursue diplomatic contact if North Korea wants it.” She added, “We hope for regional stability, and if such dialogue leads to regional stability, we will welcome it.”