Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party), gestures as she leaves the party’s office after the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election in Tokyo, October 4, 2025. Yuichi Yamazaki/AP
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said his government wants a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to break the deadlock over North Korea’s decades-old abduction of Japanese citizens.
If realized, this meeting will be the first summit meeting between the leaders of the two countries in more than 20 years. Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang in 2002, when North Korea admitted to abducting Japanese nationals and allowed five people to return to Japan.
There was a problem loading this article. Please enable JavaScript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our Help Center.
