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By Gil Yun-hyung, Tokyo correspondent

The Japanese press has been watching the increasingly close ties between North Korea and Mongolia with interest lately.

The main reason is the long shadow Mongolia is casting on one of the biggest issues between Pyongyang and Tokyo, that of Japanese citizens abducted to North Korea. Mongolia has also been implicated in another major North Korea issue - the auction of the headquarters for the pro-North Korea General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (known locally as “Chongryon”).

On Oct. 29, some Japanese news outlets, quoting North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, reported that Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elberdorj had visited North Korea and met with Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the presidium for North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly the previous day.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper speculated that a summit may have taken place with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, noting that Elbegdorj’s visit was the first by a foreign head of state since Kim took over as leader in April 2012.

The reason for the attention from Japan’s press is the hope that Elbegdorj’s visit may bring progress on the Japanese abductee issue. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Mongolia back in March, and a visit by Elbegdorj to Japan followed in September. Abe has reportedly been asking Mongolia for help on resolving the abductee issue as part of its concerted push to build bilateral ties.

The Sankei Shimbun newspaper quoted an overseas diplomatic source as saying that Mongolia has long been “proactive” about playing the bridge between Tokyo and Pyongyang, adding that Elbegdorj is likely to bring up the abductee issue at his meeting with Kim Yong-nam.

Meanwhile, some are suggesting Mongolia may have served as the go-between in a possible understanding between North Korea and Japan on the auction of the Chongryon headquarters, which are currently up for auction.

The biggest bidder in the auction has been a Mongolian company, Avar Limited Liability. Japanese media reported that the firm, which was created in January, exists only on paper, with an unrelated residential address given on its registration.

Some news outlets in Japan are suggesting North Korean involvement, noting that the chairman of the company’s board is a relative of Mongolian sumo champion Asashoryu Akinori, who competed in Japan and has visited North Korea in the past.

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