A Japanese abductee held by North Korea for more than two decades before being repatriated in 2002 has expressed hope for a summit meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim Jong Un to seek progress in saving others still believed to be in North Korea.
"Even if we can't expect a major achievement, now is the time to realize a Japan-North Korea summit," 61-year-old Kaoru Hasuike said in an interview Monday in Niigata Prefecture, where he lives, adding that North Korea is currently "isolated."
Prime Minister Abe has recently softened his stance toward North Korea, saying he will meet with its leader, Kim, "without preconditions," a shift from his previous position that any summit should yield progress on the abduction issue.