The government has conveyed to North Korea its desire to hold a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, diplomatic sources have said.
Abe wants Kim to resolve the issues of past abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea and Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programs, saying that implementing the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration signed in 2002 will bring economic benefits to Pyongyang, the sources said Wednesday.
With summits expected between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae In in April and U.S. President Donald Trump in May, Japan is concerned that the abduction issue may be left behind, they said.