---
title: "Japan's leader ready to meet N.Korea's Kim Jong Un for 'new, fruitful' relations"
description: "Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday she was ready to come \"face-to-face\" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an effort to build \"new, fruitful Japan-North Korea relations\"."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-14-japans-leader-ready-to-meet-n-koreas-kim-jong-un-for-new-fruitful-relations/"
published: "2025-11-14T12:56:27"
updated: "2025-11-14T12:56:28"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 73
---

# Japan's leader ready to meet N.Korea's Kim Jong Un for 'new, fruitful' relations

> Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday she was ready to come "face-to-face" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an effort to build "new, fruitful Japan-North Korea relations".

By Reuters · Published 14 November 2025, 14:56 SAST · Updated 14 November 2025, 14:56 SAST

## Key points
- In a bid to untangle the decades-old mystery of North Korea's abduction spree, Takaichi has thrown her diplomatic hat into the ring, leaving no option off the table—because when it comes to Pyongyang, sometimes you have to play a high-stakes game of hide and seek.
- Takaichi remains open to all options to resolve the long-standing abduction issue of Japanese nationals by North Korea.
- She has initiated contact with Pyongyang, seeking a potential summit meeting.
- The abduction issue gained international attention during Trump's visit to Japan, where he met with affected families.
- The situation reflects ongoing diplomatic efforts to address historical grievances between Japan and North Korea.

## Content

Takaichi said she "won't rule out any option" in order to make a breakthrough in the unresolved issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea in the 1970s-80s.

Takaichi has reached out to Pyongyang for a summit meeting, Kyodo News agency reported last week. U.S. President Donald Trump met the families of the abducted Japanese nationals during his visit to Japan in October.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Aidan Lewis)