Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, made an unusual statement regarding relations with Japan, saying, ``Prime Minister Kishida may visit Pyongyang one day.'' Experts believe that this is an attempt to destabilize the trilateral cooperation between Japan, the United States, and South Korea.

On the night of the 15th, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong Un, released a statement on Japan-North Korea relations through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, saying, ``Let's not let the abduction issue, which has already been resolved, become an obstacle to relations between the two countries.'' ``In the future, Prime Minister Kishida may visit Pyongyang one day,'' he said, adding that ``we should further assess Prime Minister Kishida's true intentions,'' indicating that he would be keeping a close eye on Japan's future actions.



Regarding this, Professor Shunji Hiraiwa of Nanzan University, who is familiar with the North Korean situation, said, ``Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, the United States, and South Korea held a summit meeting last year to strengthen their unity. "We have a very tense relationship. We would like to shake this up by approaching Japan, which, unlike the US and South Korea, has a special situation with the abduction issue," he said. He expressed the view that the aim was to shake up the situation.



Furthermore, he analyzed the intentions behind Kim's younger sister's unusual statement about Japan, saying, ``It can be seen as a message that is closer to the center of power.''



Furthermore, Professor Hiraiwa reiterated his previous position that the abduction issue has been ``already resolved'' in his statement, and added, ``Unfortunately, we are not willing to proactively improve relations with Japan even if we have to make concessions.'' "I can't see it. Japan's first goal is to change North Korea's traditional stance."

Full text of Kim Yo-jong's statement

Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida stated at the House of Representatives Budget Committee of the Diet that he felt strongly that there was a need to boldly change the current situation between Japan and North Korea. is extremely important, and that he is currently making efforts through various channels.



In connection with Prime Minister Kishida's remarks, I also note that the Japanese media evaluated him as expressing a different position than before on issues related to North Korea and Japan.



If Prime Minister Kishida's recent remarks were made out of his true intention to boldly break free from the constraints of his past and advance North Korea-Japan relations, I see no reason why they should not be evaluated positively.



Relations between the two countries have continued to deteriorate for several decades due to Japan's continuing efforts to bring up the abduction issue, which has already been resolved, and the nuclear and missile issues, which have nothing to do with improving North Korea-Japan relations. It is a fact that everyone recognizes.



A political decision for Japan to courageously abandon its anachronistic hostility and unrealizable tenacity and carve out a new path to improving relations through respectful behavior and acts of faith based on a foundation of mutual recognition. My view is that if the two countries decide on the issue, they can carve out a new future together.



Only politicians who have the wisdom and strategic vision to look ahead rather than the past, and the will and power to make political decisions, can seize opportunities and change history.



If Japan shakes off its bad habit of unfairly taking advantage of our right to self-defense, and does not let the already resolved abduction issue become an obstacle to the prospects for bilateral relations, there is no way that the two countries can't get closer, and the Prime Minister Maybe one day I will visit Pyongyang.



However, it is my understanding that to date, Japan's leadership has no plans to improve North Korea-Japan relations and has no interest in contact.



Going forward, we will have to further assess Prime Minister Kishida's true intentions.



This is just my personal opinion, and I am not in a position to officially evaluate the Asahi-Japan relationship.



Juche 113 (2024) February 15, Pyongyang.

Japanese government collects and analyzes information

One Japanese government official said, ``Prime Minister Kishida has been sending a positive message toward the Japan-North Korea summit meeting, so I think they are trying to find out how the Japanese side will respond.''



There are also voices saying, ``There is no change in North Korea's position that the abduction issue has been resolved, and it is just a check,'' and ``There are moves to drive a wedge between Japan, the United States, and South Korea, which are working together on the North Korea issue.'' There are various views within the Japanese government, including some who say, "This is true."



The government believes that it is necessary to carefully assess the intentions of this statement issued by North Korea, and is proceeding with information gathering and analysis.