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Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono shakes hands with US Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to Washington

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono asked senior US officials to obtain a pledge from Pyongyang to abandon medium-range missiles and resolve the Japanese abductee issue as preconditions for a North Korea-US summit, the Kyodo news agency reported. Citing a diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity, the agency reported on Mar. 25 that Kono communicated Tokyo’s request to the US during a visit on Mar. 15–18.

According to Kyodo’s report, Kono submitted a five-page document during meetings with US Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan. The document reportedly relayed Tokyo’s demands for pledges from North Korea ahead of the North Korea-US summit, which included complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization; abandonment of medium-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching Japan; allowance of IAEA inspections; a resolution to the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea; and abolition of chemical weapons. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also appears poised to make the same requests from US President Donald Trump when he visits the US next month.

The momentum gathering behind dialogue on the Korean Peninsula has raised deep concerns about a marginalized role for Japan, which has stressed the use of “maximum pressure” against North Korea. With the US focusing its attention on abolishing the nuclear weapons and ICBMs that pose a threat to its own territory, Tokyo is concerned that the issue of North Korean medium- and short-range missiles capable of striking of Japan may end up neglected. It also fears that the Japanese abductee issue, which the Abe administration has named as a top priority, could end up barely discussed at the North Korea-US summit.

But Washington officials reportedly balked at Tokyo’s demands for additional preconditions. According to the Kyodo report, while the US expressed “understanding” on Kono’s explanation, the prevailing view is that the demands are unrealistic as preconditions for talks. White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders previously said the North Korea-US summit would be held as scheduled as long as Pyongyang keeps to its three promises of denuclearization, a moratorium on nuclear and missile testing, and understanding on South Korea-US joint military exercises.

By Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

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