South Korean President Says North Korean Leader Ready For Summit With Japan - Reports

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was ready to hold a summit with Japan at the appropriate time, local media reported on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2018) South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was ready to hold a summit with Japan at the appropriate time, local media reported on Wednesday.

On late Tuesday, Moon and Abe met in New York, which is hosting the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, the Yonhap news agency reported.

"I think it is important to normalize relations with North Korea in the course of peace building on the Korean Peninsula ... We will actively support and cooperate so that the North Korea-Japan summit takes place ... I faithfully conveyed Prime Minister Abe 's message to Kim Jong Un, the chairman of the North Korean State Affairs Commission, and heard the answer to it," Moon said, as quoted by the agency.

The Japanese prime minister thanked Moon for caring about the relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang.

"I would like to express my respect to President Moon for demonstrating his strong leadership for the purpose of the latest inter-Korean summit ... I also thank you for mentioning the relationship between Japan and North Korea, including the abduction issue," Abe said.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly de-escalated in 2018 with the North Korean leader having several times met with Moon and once with US President Donald Trump. Abe has already expressed his readiness to meet with Kim.