Press Releases

On February 13th, commencing at 10 :00 for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. TSUGE Yoshifumi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from Amb Julie TURNER, Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues of the United States. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows.

1. State Minister Tsuge congratulated Amb. Turner on her new appointment and stated that the abductions issue is a top priority for the Kishida administration and a humanitarian issue with a time constraint. He then stated that, in addition to proactive efforts by Japan, the understanding and cooperation of the international community, including the U.S., is essential to resolve the abductions issue. In this context, he appreciated the strong support of the U.S. government and stated that he would like to continue to closely coordinate with the U.S.. State Minister Tsuge also stated that he would like to continue a close coordination between Japan and the U.S. as well as among Japan, the U.S., and the ROK in addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues.
2. In response, Amb. Turner once again expressed full support for the resolution of the abductions issue. Both sides then concurred that they would continue close coordination, including cooperation at the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, in addressing human rights issues in North Korea including the abductions issue.