By Clint Richards
Japan took advantage of a rare opportunity to speak with Pyongyang’s foreign minister.
At the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) last weekend in Myanmar’s capital of Naypyitaw, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed their intention to cooperate over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The sideline meeting shows the three allies still have no problems cooperating over North Korea, although there were still a few wrinkles to work out. Japan is concerned that its bilateral negotiations with Pyongyang don’t affect its traditional alliance, while the attendance of North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong allowed for a somewhat rare high-level meeting with a North Korean official.
The meeting of the three allies’ foreign ministers and their joint statements were standard for such a meeting, yet North Korea’s recent behavior colored their interaction somewhat. One of the main reasons was that Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida held a sideline meeting with Ri as well, the first time their foreign ministers have met since 2004. The two discussed the ongoing investigation into abducted Japanese citizens, with Kishida calling on Pyongyang to adhere to their agreement and file an initial report by early fall at the latest. The Jiji Press reported that Ri likely responded with a request for reparations for Japan’s colonial rule, and an expedited normalization of bilateral ties.
Read the full story at The Diplomat