Key words : kim possible only
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_02/
Kishida's visit to N.Korea possible if abduction issue not obstacle: Kim sister
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to Pyongyang is possible, unless Tokyo makes the abduction issue an obstacle to bilateral relations.
Kim Yo Jong made the comment in a press statement through her country's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday.
The statement referred to remarks by Kishida during a Diet committee session last week regarding the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea decades ago.
Kishida said it was time to boldly change the current situation between the two countries. He also said his government was making sustained efforts to communicate with North Korea through various channels and that he would do his utmost to achieve results.
Kim Yo Jong said in her statement that "there will be no reason for the two countries not to become close and the day of the prime minister's Pyongyang visit might come."
She said the visit is possible if Japan "does not lay such a stumbling block as the already settled abduction issue in the future way for mending the bilateral relations."
But Kim Yo Jong said she thinks her country's "state leadership still has no idea of repairing" ties and "has no interest" in having contact with Japan.
She also said, "It is necessary to watch the ulterior intention of Prime Minister Kishida in the future."
She said her statement only represents her "personal view" and that she is not in a position to officially comment on the bilateral ties.
Kim Yo Jong has often made public comments that appear to reflect the intent of Kim Jong Un. It is extremely rare for her to issue a statement on her personal opinion about ties between Japan and North Korea.
In 2002, Japan's then-Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il met in Pyongyang for the first summit between the two countries.
North Korea's admission of the abductions at the summit led to the return of five Japanese abductees.
They are among the 17 citizens the Japanese government says were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. The other 12 remain unaccounted for. Many others, although not officially recognized, may have been taken to North Korea.
Key words : hayashi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_15/
Japan calls N.Korea claim of abduction issue being already settled unacceptable
Japan's top government spokesperson says Pyongyang's claim that the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents is already settled is absolutely unacceptable.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa told reporters on Friday that the government takes note that the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a statement about a potential visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to Pyongyang.
Kim Yo Jong said in the statement on Thursday that the visit would be possible if Japan "does not lay such a stumbling block as the already settled abduction issue in the future way for mending the bilateral relations."
Hayashi said he will refrain from making detailed comments, including the government's evaluation of the statement, as it could affect future negotiations.
He also said Japan remains unchanged in its stance to seek a comprehensive solution to pending bilateral issues, such as the abductions and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, based on the 2002 Pyongyang Declaration between Japan and North Korea.
Key words : senior us officials
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_14/
US officials express support for possible Japan-N.Korea summit
The White House official in charge of East Asia says the United States will support Japan's efforts to hold a summit with North Korea.
Mira Rapp-Hooper, National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, spoke at an event organized by a think tank on Thursday.
One of the participants asked how the US views the possibility of a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un.
She said an engagement with the North "is something that if either the United States or any of its partners wanted to do, had a reason to do," the US would "support, work together and consult with one another."
The US Senior Official for North Korea, Jung Pak, told reporters that the US will support any kind of diplomacy and dialogue with North Korea.
She said the US will "very strongly support Japan" in its efforts to resolve the abduction issue.
Asked whether she thinks a Japan-North Korea summit is possible, Pak said the North "has been pretty clear" that it is "not interested in dialogue and diplomacy" with other countries apart from Russia and China.
The officials' comments came after Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued a rare statement on Thursday that said a visit to Pyongyang by Kishida "might come" if Tokyo "does not lay such a stumbling block as the already settled abduction issue in the future way for mending the bilateral relations."
US President Joe Biden's administration has consistently called for dialogue with North Korea without preconditions.
Key words : hiraiwa
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_05/
N.Korea statement seeks to rattle Japan-US-S.Korea cooperation, expert says
A Japanese expert on North Korea says the latest statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister is meant to shake the collaboration between Japan, the United States and South Korea.
Kim Yo Jong issued the statement on Thursday. She said a visit to Pyongyang by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio "might come" if Tokyo "does not lay such a stumbling block as the already settled abduction issue in the future way for mending the bilateral relations."
Nanzan University Professor Hiraiwa Shunji says Japan, the US and South Korea have been solidifying their unity over issues related to the Korean Peninsula since their trilateral summit last year.
He says ties between Seoul and Pyongyang remain very tense as North Korea now appears unwilling to explore peaceful unification with its southern neighbor.
Hiraiwa says North Korea is attempting to rattle the cooperation between Japan, the US and South Korea by implying its readiness to move closer to Tokyo, which wants to resolve the long-standing abduction issue.
He also says Pyongyang wants to make the statement appear to be a message from near the center of power as it took the rare form of one issued by Kim Jong Un's sister towards Japan.
The statement restates North Korea's conventional position that the abduction issue has been settled.
Hiraiwa says Japan will first have to make North Korea change the stance even though Pyongyang seems unwilling to concede it in the interest of better ties.
Key words : maritime surveillance
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_21/
Japan's MSDF to test use of surveillance drone over East China Sea
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force is due to test a large surveillance drone, the SeaGuardian, over the East China Sea later this year.
The Defense Ministry said on Friday that the trial is aimed at verifying whether the unmanned craft can carry out patrols in an area where Chinese naval activity is on the rise.
The ministry says the remote-controlled SeaGuardian will be flown about three times between July and September from the Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
The MSDF began trial flights of the SeaGuardian in May last year to assess its potential to replace manned aircraft for patrol and surveillance.
The flights have been conducted in airspace near Hachinohe Air Base in the northern prefecture of Aomori.
The trial is scheduled to continue until September. The MSDF will determine whether to adopt the large drone for actual use based on its performance and other factors.
Key words : Kishida reserve fund
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_22/
Kishida mulls third use of reserve fund for rebuilding quake-hit Noto Peninsula
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says he will coordinate plans to tap into the government's reserve fund for the third time to speed up the reconstruction of areas devastated by the New Year's Day earthquake.
Kishida attended a government taskforce meeting on the Noto Peninsula earthquake in central Japan. The governor of hard-hit Ishikawa Prefecture joined online.
Kishida instructed relevant ministers to study the additional use of reserve funds from the state budget for the current fiscal year.
The prime minister said a government office for reconstruction was set up in the quake-hit region on Friday to accelerate work to repair roads and other infrastructure, as well as to build temporary housing.
He said the office will assist in the dispatch of technical staff from across Japan and secure accommodation for workers.
The prime minister also called for a response to damage caused by liquefaction, as well as measures to upgrade wooden temporary housing units after a set period, so residents can live there permanently.
He asked for a new program to be drawn up by the end of this month so that people whose homes were damaged can receive the support they need.
Kishida said government efforts to respond to the disaster should not be held back by budgetary constraints. He urged the ministers to do their utmost to help the disaster evacuees return home and revive the affected areas.
Key words : japan post resumed deliveries
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_19/
Japan Post resumes parcel deliveries in quake-hit areas of Ishikawa Prefecture
Japan Post has resumed parcel delivery service that was suspended in the northern region of Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, after the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day.
Parcel service to Wajima City, Suzu City, Noto Town and Anamizu Town had been suspended, with the exception of deliveries to a temporary postal facility in Anamizu Town.
Japan Post began accepting parcels for delivery to eight post offices in the northern Oku-Noto region on Thursday.
On Friday morning, a truck delivered the first batch of around 30 parcels to the Suzu post office. Postal workers sorted the parcels and handed them to recipients who came to pick them up.
A woman who visited the post office said she is grateful that she can now receive parcels and is looking forward to opening them.
Japan Post says it cannot make deliveries to homes, and parcels must be picked up at post offices. It advised senders to coordinate with recipients to ensure parcel collection.
Key words : trump rally dangerous
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_08/
Trump urges NATO allies to spend more on defense
Former US President Donald Trump has once again pressured NATO allies to shoulder more defense costs, saying his country would not defend them otherwise.
During an election campaign rally in South Carolina on Wednesday, Trump said that NATO nations "weren't paying their bills." He added, "If they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect."
The following day, Trump insisted again that the United States is paying a large amount of defense expenditures and said NATO allies are laughing at the stupidity of his country.
Trump revealed on Saturday that while he was in office he said that the US might not protect its NATO allies from a potential Russian attack, unless they commit to their fair share of defense expenditures.
His remarks on Saturday sparked backlash from NATO nations. US President Joe Biden also said Trump had sent a dangerous signal to the world.
Key words : russia ammunition running out
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240216_10/
White House official says Russia may seize Ukraine town
A White House official has urged US Congress to pass a budget bill to provide urgent funding to Ukraine, warning that Russia may capture a town in eastern Ukraine.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby spoke to reporters on Thursday about Russia's ongoing military attempts to encircle and capture Avdiivka in the eastern region of Donetsk.
Kirby said the White House has heard from Ukrainians that the situation is critical. He said Russia continues pressing Ukrainian positions every single day, and that "Avdiivka is at risk of falling into Russian control. "
Kirby said Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition in the battle for Avdiivka. He said the United States has not been able to provide Ukraine with "the artillery shells they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults."
The US Senate approved a foreign aid package on Tuesday, including funds for Ukraine and Israel. But it remains unclear whether the budget bill can clear the Republican-controlled lower house.
Key words : germany gdp
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240215_13/
Japan slips to 4th-ranked global economy
Japan has lost its place as the world's third-largest economy to Germany.
Japan's nominal Gross Domestic Product for 2023 came to 591.5 trillion yen, or some 4.2 trillion dollars based on last year's average exchange rate. Germany's preliminary GDP surpassed Japan's to stand at nearly 4.5 trillion dollars.
The Japanese economy was the world's second largest for decades from 1968. But China surged past in 2010, leaving Japan third until 2022. Germany's population is about two-thirds the size of Japan's.
Since Japan's economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, prolonged slow growth and deflation have curbed both consumer spending and corporate investment.
While the weak yen lowers the value of Japan's economy in dollar terms, higher inflation in Germany has helped boost nominal German GDP growth.
Key words : germany overtook
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20240216152217126/
Germany's GDP growth outpaces Japan due to domestic initiatives
Germany's GDP has overtaken Japan's to become the world's third-largest economy. Is there anything we can learn from German businesses? NHK World looked into the differences between the two countries.
Key words : weather jonathan
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