Japan PM Takaichi vows 'breakthrough' on North Korean abductee issue
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she is determined to achieve a 'breakthrough' in resolving the long-standing issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, vowing to weigh all options, according to South China Morning Post.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Saturday she is 'determined to achieve a breakthrough' in resolving the long-standing issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, vowing to 'weigh all options'. According to the South China Morning Post, Takaichi spoke at the annual meeting with families of the abductees and said the government will continue to operate diplomatic channels.
The topic has a long history in Japanese domestic politics; Pyongyang acknowledged some abduction cases in 2002 but could not reach a resolution with Tokyo on the fate of the remaining individuals. Family Federation chairman Takuya Yokota said it is 'time for concrete steps' from the government. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Washington provides 'full support' for Japan's efforts.
North Korea has not yet provided a direct response to Tokyo. Past mechanisms such as the 2014 Stockholm agreement were tried between Tokyo and Pyongyang, but progress was limited. For markets, investors will track Japanese domestic politics, yen exchange-rate moves and regional risk-premium dynamics. This commentary is not investment advice.
More from Asia
Anthropic tops OpenAI as world's most valuable AI start-up at US$965B
Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI assistant, has been valued at US$965 billion in its latest financing round, surpassing rival OpenAI as the world's most valuable AI start-up, Straits Times Business reported.
Japan to bolster sea lane defence with Southeast Asia info-sharing plan
Japan will set up a broad maritime information-sharing framework with Southeast Asian countries, led by the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. With the Hormuz crisis and South China Sea tensions in the background, Tokyo is moving to protect critical trade lanes.
Inflation storm builds in India as rupee sinks deeper
India's wholesale price inflation is expected to face additional upward pressure as oil and metal prices remain elevated amid geopolitical tensions. A weakening rupee is further worsening the inflation outlook, a new report warned.