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A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 7 June 2018

Abe to press Trump to raise issue of abducted at Kim summit

By MARI YAMAGUCHI though they then stayed,
Associated Press angering North Korea.
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Japan says at least 17
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese were abducted
unable to meet North and possibly more.
Korea's leader himself, is Japanese officials
heading to Washington to are scrambling to get
try to make sure President information on the Trump-
Donald Trump doesn't Kim summit. Chief Cabinet
overlook Japan's security Secretary Yoshihide Suga
and other concerns at the said Japan will dispatch
unprecedented U.S.-North diplomats to Singapore to
Korea summit next week. try to get the latest updates.
Abe will have less than two After his last meeting with
hours to make his points Trump in April, Abe said
to Trump at the White the two leaders were in
House on Thursday, before complete agreement on
both go to Canada for North Korea policy, namely
a G-7 summit on Friday to keep sanctions in place
and Saturday, and the until Pyongyang takes
American president then concrete action toward
flies to Singapore for his verifiable and irreversible
June 12 meeting with North denuclearization.
Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Concerns have since grown
Japan, which relied on in Japan that Trump may
the U.S. for its post-World be prioritizing holding a
War II diplomacy and summit rather than the goal
security, has been absent of full denuclearization.
in the recent burst of Abe, who has played
engagement with North tough on the North, also
Korea. Chinese President Xi worries that a growing
Jinping and South Korean reconciliatory mood
President Moon Jae-in between the two Koreas
have both met Kim twice, may prompt leniency
as Abe waits his turn to raise toward Pyongyang.
Japan's concerns directly. Trump's recent statement
"I want to make sure to be that he doesn't want to
on the same page with keep using the phrase
President Trump ahead "maximum pressure"
of the first ever U.S.-North against North Korea
Korea summit so we can reinforced those fears.
push forward nuclear and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, and his wife Akie prepare to leave for the U.S. at North Korea's state media
missile issues, and most Haneda international airport in Tokyo Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Korea Central News
importantly the abduction Associated Press Agency criticized Abe and
problem, and make for other Japanese officials
a successful summit," that a state leader has issue. He said Japan would for Japan's 35-year for insisting on pressuring
Abe told reporters before to ask another leader in then normalize ties and colonization of Korea could the North. KCNA, quoting
leaving for the airport. resolving the sovereignty of provide economic aid be attractive, but noted the Rodong Shimmun
Abe doesn't want Trump his people." as rewards for a North that North Korea now has newspaper, said Japan
to strike a compromise While in Washington, Abe Korean commitment to other potential sources of worries about being
that would leave Japan will also likely press Trump both denuclearization and assistance. "marginalized from the
exposed to shorter- to remove Japan from resolution of the abduction "Japan's economy does structure around the
range missiles that do U.S. steel and aluminum issue. not stand out in northeast Korean Peninsula."q
not threaten the U.S. tariffs, as well as express Japanese analysts agree Asia as it did 16 years ago,"
mainland or that relieves his opposition to threats of that if Abe's turn to meet he said, when Pyongyang
pressure on North Korea sharply higher U.S. tariffs Kim comes, it would be and Tokyo last tried to
before it takes concrete on imported automobiles. at the very end of a long negotiate a normalization
steps toward complete Abe said he will show at process as Trump and of ties. Without Japan's
denuclearization. He is the G-7 summit his full other regional leaders help, North Korea has
expected to ask Trump backing for Trump on deal with North Korea's arranged a summit with the
once again to raise with North Korea, but he will denuclearization. U.S. and possible economic
Kim the fate of Japanese urge everyone to take "Japan eventually should cooperation from South
abducted by the North in leadership in promoting develop its own diplomacy Korea, he said this week at
the 1970s and 1980s. free and fair trade rather to deal with North Korea a briefing for media.
"It wouldn't be my style than escalating disputes. independently to resolve After a 2002 summit
to have to ask the U.S. for Japan hopes to hold talks its problems, including the between then-Prime
help on the abduction with North Korea after abductions," said Atsuhito Minister Junichiro Koizumi
issue," said Hitoshi Tanaka, a successful Trump-Kim Isozaki, a Keio University and North Korean leader
a former diplomat and summit. Abe has said he is professor specializing in Kim Jong Il, North Korea
head of a think tank, the open to meeting with Kim, North Korea. acknowledged abducting
Institute for International but only if it would lead to He said that economic aid 13 Japanese and allowed
Strategy. "It's embarrassing resolving the abduction or financial compensation five of them to visit Japan,