A top Japanese intelligence official close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a secret meeting with North Korean counterparts in early October in Mongolia, s
A top Japanese intelligence official close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a secret meeting with North Korean counterparts in early October in Mongolia, sources familiar with bilateral ties said Thursday.
The meeting in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator could be consistent with Abe’s stated desire to arrange a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after he received assurances about progress on the long-standing issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.
Among major countries dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat, Japan is the only one to have been kept at arm’s length since Kim began a string of diplomatic engagements this year. In addition to holding talks with Chinese, South Korean and U. S. leaders, Kim plans to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin by the end of the year.
During his visit to Mongolia from around Oct. 6 to 8, Shigeru Kitamura, who heads Japan’s Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, met with North Korean officials, including a senior figure from the United Front Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, according to the sources.
The department is an intelligence organ mainly focused on South Korean affairs.
Admitting that the meeting took place, a senior Japanese government official told Kyodo News that “I heard they discussed how the abduction issue should be solved between Japan and North Korea.
