Press Conferences

Kubo, TBS: At the Chief Cabinet Secretary’s press conference and elsewhere today, questions were raised about a report in the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s JoongAng Daily. The Government of Japan has officially stated that the report is not true, but does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any thoughts with regard to how to respond to such reports?

Mr. Yasuhisa Kawamura, Foreign Press Secretary: To confirm, I assume the report you refer to is a report in the ROK’s JoongAng Daily that North Korean persons contacted the Japanese Embassy in China and sought asylum. However, with regard to this report, it is not true that North Koreans contacted the Japanese Embassy in China seeking asylum as that report stated. Furthermore, there have been subsequent reports that asylum to a third country is being sought, but the Government of Japan is not in a position to comment.