South Korean President Moon Jae In's decision to take up the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea at his upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was likely influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's promise to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to raise it at a U.S.-North Korea summit scheduled to take place by early June.
Moon -- who is set to meet Kim on Friday -- had previously been vague about his position on raising the issue. However, in telephone talks with Abe on Tuesday, he agreed to raise it with Kim.
According to an explanation from the South Korea presidential Blue House, Abe requested that Moon raise the abduction issue during his talks with Kim, telling Moon over the phone, "Mr. Trump promised [during the latest Japan-U.S. summit] to raise the abduction issue at the U.S.-North Korea summit and to make every possible effort to help the abductees return to Japan."
Japanese and South Korean diplomatic sources said Moon expressed his intention to take up the issue by saying: "I understand the situation very well. I will convey the message to Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea."
Moon has received a series of requests from Japan -- including during a phone conversation with Abe on March 16 and at a meeting with Foreign Minister Taro Kono on April 11 -- to raise the abduction issue at the inter-Korea summit, but previously declined to specify what action he would take.
A Japanese government source said South Korea may have decided to act in concert with Trump after he mentioned taking up the issue during his meeting with Kim.
The South Korean government is in a position in which it needs Japan's involvement to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Moon's decision to raise the abduction issue follows South Korea's calls during inter-Korea summits in 2000 and 2007 for North Korea to improve its relations with Japan.
In light of the inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea summits, Abe intends to seek a meeting with Kim in the near future. The abduction issue is an especially urgent matter for Japan -- and one that can ultimately only be resolved through top-level talks between Japan and North Korea.
However, North Korea has maintained that the "abduction issue has already been resolved," and Japan will inevitably encounter tough negotiations with North Korea.
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