Japan's Takaichi vows abduction breakthrough as G7 absence draws fire
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi promised families of people abducted by North Korea on Tuesday that she would find a breakthrough "at any cost." She is also defending skipping a G7 video call last week. Japan says North Korea abducted 17 of its citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met Tuesday with families of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea decades ago. She promised to "make a breakthrough during my tenure at any cost," Kyodo News reported.
"The abduction issue is truly an urgent and grave humanitarian problem with no time to spare," she told the group at her Tokyo office. She said she would keep trying "various approaches through various channels." Japan has no diplomatic ties with North Korea.
Takaichi said President Donald Trump promised "strong support" when they met in New York in September. The families' group is led by Takuya Yokota. His sister, Megumi, was taken from Niigata in 1977 at age 13. She became a symbol of the cause.
Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Five came home in 2002. As the families age, the pressure to act grows. But North Korea's nuclear and missile programs make talks hard, Kyodo noted.
The meeting came as Takaichi faced criticism at home over a missed meeting. She did not join a Group of Seven video call Friday night, even though local media said she was at home and free. The call ended with a plan for a joint release of 100 million barrels of oil from reserves, The Japan Times reported.
Takaichi pushed back on social media. She called it "a last-minute meeting" that allowed stand-ins. She noted that Britain's prime minister and the European Council president also sent others. Kazuya Endo, a senior deputy foreign minister, took her place and read her message, Jiji Press reported. She said Japan was already releasing oil reserves and had no plans for new steps.
It is not the first time. She also skipped an April online meeting on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and sent a senior diplomat instead, The Japan Times reported.
Money worries hang over her government, too. In a policy speech Monday that opened a special session of parliament, Takaichi vowed to "enhance market confidence," Jiji Press reported. Japan's 10-year government bond yield hit 3.115% on Sept. 25, the highest since August 1996. Investors are watching her spending plans as Japan begins drafting next year's budget.
Takaichi took office in October last year.
What we know: Takaichi pledged new efforts on the abductions and defended her G7 absence.
What we don't: What new channel to North Korea she has in mind, or how she will calm bond markets.
Where outlets agree The Japan Times and Jiji Press both report that senior deputy foreign minister Kazuya Endo joined the G7 call in Takaichi's place.
Where they differ Critics question why Takaichi skipped the G7 call while free at home, while she says the short-notice meeting allowed deputies and other leaders also sent stand-ins.