Japan's prime minister does not rule out the possibility of direct diplomatic talks with the North Korean dictator. At the centre of his statement is the controversy over Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 70s. Abe wants to know more about their fate.

Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he might meet with Kim Jong-un. "If a summit meeting is deemed as an important means in considering ways to resolve the abduction issue, we must take it into consideration as a matter of course in negotiating with them," he said on Wednesday.

Between 1970 and 1980, when North Korea was ruled by Kim Il-sung, grandfather of the current dictator, it abducted 17 Japanese citizens. In 2002, North Korean authorities admitted kidnapping 13. Five were sent home and the remaining eight were declared dead. For Pyongyang, the matter was settled; for Tokyo, it was not. For years, Japan has demanded more information.

After his election victory in December 2012, Shinzo Abe said he wanted to resolve the issue of the abductees. A meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be part of the process of settling the issue as well as reducing tensions that flared up recently between the two nations.

In the past few months, North Korea has accelerated its military nuclear programme. Japan, along with the United States and South Korea, has been the main recipient of North Korean threats.

In April, Pyongyang deployed missile launchers on its east coast, raising the risk of an attack. In response, the Japanese government set up missile batteries in central Tokyo, saying it was ready for any attack.

But for Abe, "Our fundamental objective is to resolve the abduction issue, including the return of all abductees, revelation of the truth," he said.

 

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