North Korea rules out any meetings with Japan

North Korea has no interest in dialogue with Japan, state media KCNA reported on Friday, citing foreign minister Choe Son Hui.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "without any preconditions" and is personally overseeing efforts to realize the first such leaders' summit in 20 years in an attempt to defuse decades of tensions.

But North Korea has said, opens new tab it had no interest in a summit with Japan and would reject any talks, signaling no thaw in relations between the two countries.

Choe also said Pyongyang has no intention to help with the issue of Japanese abductees, according to KCNA, adding North Korea will "respond sharply" to Japan's interference with its sovereignty.

"I cannot understand why he persistently adheres to the issue that cannot be settled," Choe was quoted as saying by KCNA, referring to Kishida.

North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens decades earlier. Five abductees and their families later returned to Japan, saying the others had died.



Reuters