The public is divided over the first summit meeting between the United States and North Korea, with 43 percent viewing it positively while 47 percent had negative assessments, according to a nationwide Yomiuri Shimbun survey conducted from Friday through Sunday.
The public apparently gave mixed responses because the summit, which was held on June 12, agreed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but failed to present a specific time frame or concrete measures to achieve the goal.
Asked whether North Korea's nuclear and missile issues would be resolved, 24 percent of respondents said they expect a resolution and 64 percent said they do not.
U.S. President Donald Trump brought up the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea during the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Nineteen percent said they believed that it would help resolve the abduction issue, while 73 percent said they did not think it would. These figures indicate respondents largely hold skeptical views over the prospects for issues concerning North Korea.
As for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's diplomacy in relation to North Korean issues, 42 percent had favorable assessments while 47 percent showed negative views. Fifty-one percent said Japan and North Korea should hold a summit meeting as soon as possible, up from 41 percent in the previous survey conducted from May 18 to 20.
In the latest survey, the percentage of respondents opting for an early Japan-North Korea summit surpassed that of those with a cautious stance, which stood at 45 percent, down from 55 percent in the previous survey.
To resolve North Korea's nuclear and missile issues, 48 percent said the international community should place emphasis on dialogue, which remained unchanged from the previous survey, while 39 percent said pressure should be intensified, down from 41 percent.
Cabinet's approval rating rises
The approval rating of Abe's Cabinet rose slightly to 45 percent from 42 percent in the previous survey, while the disapproval rating declined to 44 percent from 47 percent.
The Cabinet approval rating has increased over two consecutive months, and in the latest survey surpassed the disapproval rating for the first time in three months, since the March 9-11 poll.
By political party, 38 percent said they supported the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, up from 37 percent in the previous survey, followed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan with 6 percent, down from 7 percent. Forty-four percent said they had no party affiliation, up from 42 percent.
The survey was conducted by polling 891 households on landline phones and 1,201 mobile phone users sampled with a random digit dialing method. All respondents were eligible voters aged 18 or older. Of them, 1,090 people -- 527 on landlines and 563 on mobile phones -- gave valid answers.
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