Japan’s new Premier Takaichi seeks summit with North Korea’s Kim

ISTANBUL

Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that Tokyo has sought a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The "hope" for the summit was “already conveyed” to Pyongyang to resolve the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea decades ago, Kyodo News reported.

Takaichi, who was elected on Oct. 21, said she wants to meet with Kim "directly" and "achieve concrete results.”

"I will do everything during my term to have a breakthrough and resolve the matter,” said Takaichi, addressing a gathering in Tokyo on the abduction issue.

Takaichi is known for sharing a conservative political stance and hawkish views on diplomacy and security with late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan officially lists 17 people as "abducted" in the 1970s and 1980s by North Korea.

Five of them were repatriated in October 2002 following landmark talks between late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Japan's then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Pyongyang.

However, no major progress has been reported since.

Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties, and Pyongyang says the abduction issue has been solved.