Justice Before Diplomacy: Japan’s Path To Normalizing Ties With North Korea – OpEd
The proposed meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un serves as more than a regular diplomatic engagement because it will establish whether Japan can achieve official diplomatic relations. The main argument states that Japan needs to solve the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea through verifiable and transparent, and humane methods before establishing official diplomatic ties. The fundamental moral and political essence of Normalisation emerges at this particular point.
The abduction issue has created a severe rift between the two countries. North Korean agents abducted seventeen Japanese nationals during the 1970s and 1980s, but experts suspect the actual number of abductions could be greater. The government recognised five returnees during 2002, but the destiny of all remaining hostages continues to be unknown. The Japanese government continues to face demands from families and civil society groups to solve the abductions because public support for this matter continues to be strong. Most people opposed normalisation efforts because they demanded a full investigation into the abduction case with genuine evidence, according to the 2025 polling data.
Significant obstacles impede progress. Pyongyang maintains that the issue has been settled, but it only shares limited, unverified data. North Korea has intensified its weapons testing activities through multiple missile launches, which took place over the Sea of Japan during 2025. The situation has become more dangerous because of these actions, which make it harder to achieve political solutions through dialogue. Regionally, Seoul is concerned about being marginalised; Washington emphasises that denuclearisation remains a primary objective; and Beijing and Moscow are likely to seek to influence any negotiation process to their advantage. Tokyo needs to handle three essential priorities, which include humanitarian needs and maintaining alliance relationships, and preserving regional stability.
A summit needs to operate through a structured process, which includes specific verification steps. The first essential phase requires Pyongyang to establish humanitarian truth through three essential steps: creating a complete list of abducted people and granting investigators from neutral organisations to confirm identities, and establishing communication channels for families to meet with their surviving relatives. The process of independent verification, which includes DNA testing and document analysis and international oversight, must be implemented to stop any attempts at manipulation. Only after the neutral certification of humanitarian facts should Japan consider reciprocal measures, such as humanitarian assistance or limited cooperation.
The following stage would introduce confidence-building actions through missile test bans and hotline restoration, and disaster relief and medical assistance cooperation. The confidence-building measures need to have specific targets for measurement and built-in snapback provisions which allow Tokyo to stop its concessions when Pyongyang does not meet its obligations. The process would advance to its final stage based on continued adherence to the agreement through diplomatic recognition and step-by-step sanctions relaxation, and peace treaty and security framework negotiations.
The verification process serves as the fundamental base which supports this system. Japan should support the creation of an international verification office which would operate under the United Nations or another trusted multilateral organisation with neutral experts on staff. The organisation would investigate missing persons cases while monitoring performance against established benchmarks and publishing complete public reports. The proposed structure would create trust with families while it strengthens national oversight and protects humanitarian achievements from political exploitation. The system would maintain unity between allies because it provides an unbiased system to assess their achievements.
Regional actors will closely watch the approaches Tokyo takes to manage the situation. While Seoul is sympathetic to humanitarian goals, it will be apprehensive about being excluded from inter-Korean dynamics and must be consulted. Washington needs to obtain guarantees that Japanese concessions will not damage the U.S.–Japan alliance or reduce nuclear disarmament efforts. Beijing supports peaceful conflict resolution methods while simultaneously taking steps to shape the final result of the situation. Moscow will use its current position to act as a mediator which connects all participating parties. Tokyo needs to create clear communication channels with its allies while keeping diplomatic channels open to neighbouring countries to stop strategic failures and prevent unwanted strategic consequences.
Ultimately, domestic politics will shape the legacy of the summit. The public, along with abductee families and advocacy groups, requires actual evidence instead of empty declarations. The initiative needs to present itself as a humanitarian-focused project, which should report its achievements to both parliament members and the general public. The domestic mandate for future normalisation steps will emerge through protecting abductee dignity and truth because any illegal actions will be seen as indications of weakness or betrayal.
The project failure would create multiple severe adverse effects. The North Korean government would use a summit to create propaganda while providing limited information and pursuing weapon development, while obtaining benefits from the negotiations. The results would generate worldwide scepticism between countries, which would lead to alliance breakdowns, and North Korea would gain more power to resist concessions. The method provides three main benefits, which include verifying justice for abducted families and creating restricted communication paths and decreasing local disputes, and enabling security negotiations.
Any progress toward diplomatic relations needs to follow a strategic approach which puts humanitarian needs first. The Japanese government should implement the abduction resolution for diplomatic negotiations by demonstrating concrete progress to receive compensation and establishing international monitoring systems, which would convert previous victimisation into sustained diplomatic ties. The accomplishment of success would lead to major progress toward justice and reconciliation, which would create enduring peace throughout Northeast Asia and its neighbouring areas.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own.
References
- Ryall, J. (2025, November 5). Can Takaichi bring the North Korea-abducted Japanese home using “any means necessary”? South China Morning Post.
- Asmolov, K. (2025, November 3). How Japan can solve the issue of the abductees. Journal-Neo.
- King, R. (2025, March 26). Decades on, Japan presses North Korea over abducted citizens. The Peninsula: Korea Economic Institute.
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