Japan, N Korea to hold new talks on abductions on July 1

The meeting will be held nearly a month after Tokyo announced it would ease sanctions

where? ofcourse back to Beijing (!)

Good for them.

increase the peace!

I'm not convinced that these talks are a good idea. I'm also a bit curious about how they affect Abe's broader political strategy.

Don't these talks with NK undermine Abe's rationale for revising Art. 9? I thought the idea was that North Korea was an out of control nuclear state run by a madman that we might have to pre-emptively strike someday. But if we can sit down with them to reasonably negotiate about the abductees, doesn't that undermine Abe's whole narative on NK?

@M3 Well, with a belligerent Beijing and an uncooperative Seoul, increasingly but slowly Japanese are moving towards a more active role for Japan's defence apparatus. Whether that entails constitutional change is however a different issue, and honestly the odds for Abe are abysmal.

You mean North Korea will be holding "EXTORTION TALKS" Japan send wheat, but get the wrong ashes in return!

North koreans understand the strenght, not peace words.