Japan-North Korea Relations
Meeting with the Foreign Minister of North Korea Ri Su-Yong
August 6, 2015
On August 6, commencing at 11:50 a.m. (local time) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was visiting Malaysia to attend the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings, held a meeting with Mr. Ri Su-Yong, Foreign Minister of North Korea, based on the instruction by Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, with the primary purpose of directly working on North Korea towards the resolution of the abductions issue. The overview is as follows. While carefully watching the outcome of this meeting, Japan will continue to exert the utmost effort to elicit concrete actions from North Korea as soon as possible.
1. Minister Kishida conveyed Japan's concerns, while requiring North Korea to fulfill the agreement in May 2014, and strongly urged North Korea to return all the abductees at the earliest possible date. In response, Minister Ri Su-Yong explained that the Special Investigation Committee was faithfully conducting investigations based on the agreement in Stockholm.
2. Minister Kishida raised the issue of security, including North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and conveyed Japan's position. Minister Ri Su-Yong commented based on North Korea's previously expressed position, including on the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises.
1. Minister Kishida conveyed Japan's concerns, while requiring North Korea to fulfill the agreement in May 2014, and strongly urged North Korea to return all the abductees at the earliest possible date. In response, Minister Ri Su-Yong explained that the Special Investigation Committee was faithfully conducting investigations based on the agreement in Stockholm.
2. Minister Kishida raised the issue of security, including North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and conveyed Japan's position. Minister Ri Su-Yong commented based on North Korea's previously expressed position, including on the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises.