Takaichi Offers Talks with North Korea 'By Any Means Necessary'

At the November 3 national rally calling for the rescue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi revealed that she had conveyed her desire to hold a bilateral summit with Pyongyang. 

Families of abductees voiced renewed hope that the new leader would take decisive action to advance progress on the issue.

Pin Hopes on Takaichi Cabinet

Takuya Yokota, who leads the association representing the victims' families, is the brother of Megumi Yokota, abducted on her way home from school at age 13. Reflecting on their meeting with Takaichi on October 23 — two days after she took office — he said he "sensed the Prime Minister's strong resolve and conviction."

He expressed gratitude to the new Prime Minister for arranging a meeting between the victims' families and United States President Donald Trump during his visit to Tokyo on October 28. 

"We have full trust in the Prime Minister," he said, adding, "I hope we can strengthen our relationship and work together to move forward."

Yokota also reviewed remarks at past rallies by the then-prime ministers. In May 2023, Fumio Kishida first pledged to "conduct high-level discussions under my direct supervision" to realize a Japan–North Korea summit. 

Just two days later, North Korea's vice foreign minister responded briefly with a conciliatory statement, saying, "There is no reason why North Korea and Japan cannot meet."

Momentum for Bilateral Summit

At Monday's event, Takaichi said, "I have already conveyed to North Korea my desire to hold a summit meeting." 

Koichiro Iizuka — the eldest son of Yaeko Taguchi, who was abducted at age 22 — said he was "surprised" by the announcement. 

"The impact of a prime minister openly revealing part of the ongoing negotiation process in public is significant," he noted.

"This sends a strong message to North Korea, and given the precedent under Prime Minister Kishida, I hope to see positive developments ahead."

Calls for Continued Support

Megumi's mother, Sakie, called for a compassionate approach in future talks with Pyongyang, saying, "Harsh words and actions alone will not win the other side's heart."

The latest rally was also attended by Masako Kitatani, the older sister of abductee Keiko Arimoto. She joined the family association this year, along with her younger sister, Ikuko Arimoto. Their father, Akihiro, who passed away in February, and their mother, Kayoko, who died in 2020, had long campaigned for Keiko's return. 

"We joined the association to show North Korea that our family has not given up on reuniting with Keiko," Kitatani said.

"There is so much we want to tell her. As our parents did, we ask for the continued support of the government and the public."

RELATED:

• North Korean Abductions: 'Dialogue' and Hope In Focus at National Rally
• Trump to Meet Sisters of a Japanese Woman Abducted by North Korea 
• Passing the Baton in the Abductions Issue 

Author: Shoki Nakamura, Yusaku Uchida, Kazuyuki Nagahashi 

(Read this in Japanese)