Because of the acrimony built up over the abduction issue, North Korea and Japan are unlikely to normalize relations.
It’s not as though they haven’t tried: In 2002, Kim Jong Il admitted to the abductions of 13 Japanese citizens in the hopes of achieving official recognition – and aid – from Tokyo, but instead his admission triggered a backlash by confirming what the Japanese public had long believed.
Because of the acrimony built up over the abduction issue, North Korea and Japan are unlikely to normalize relations.
It’s not as though they haven’t tried: In 2002, Kim Jong Il admitted to the abductions of 13 Japanese citizens in the hopes of achieving official recognition – and aid – from Tokyo, but instead his admission triggered a backlash by confirming what the Japanese public had long believed.
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