Tokyo is seeking a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Japanese media said Wednesday, prompting speculation that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scrambling to devise ways to deflect public attention away from an ongoing document-tampering scandal that threatens to significantly erode his grip on power.
Some media outlets, including Kyodo News and Jiji Press, reported Wednesday that the Abe administration is now "exploring the possibility" of holding a summit meeting with Kim — a scenario that, if true, would represent a drastic break from the prime minister's long-held position against dialogue with Pyongyang.
The Kyodo report, quoting an unnamed high-ranking official at Abe's office, said the government believes "direct dialogue with the top — Mr. Kim Jong Un — is essential" if Japan were to achieve the historic return of its citizens spirited away by North Korean agents in the 1970s and '80s.