Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking for a change in North Korea’s stance in an effort to resume dialogue between Tokyo and Pyongyang, people familiar with his thinking said.

Kishida reiterated his determination Thursday to resume talks with North Korea to resolve Pyongyang’s abductions of Japanese citizens.

“The abductions are a time-sensitive human rights issue. We’re working at full strength to ensure that all victims return home as soon as possible,” Kishida told a parliamentary committee meeting.

“We’ll continue efforts to hold high-level talks (with North Korea) to realize a summit meeting at an early date,” he said.

North Korea in 2014 pledged to conduct a comprehensive and full-scale investigation into the abductions. But it unilaterally ceased the investigation in 2016.

Japanese government officials signaled the possibility that Tokyo and Pyongyang will resume dialogue. “We don’t say ‘we will hold talks’ if no preparations are underway,” one of the officials said.

Kishida is exploring for the possibility of talks with Pyongyang using potential humanitarian aid to North Korea as a leverage, according to members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

A Japanese group of families of abduction victims in February said that it does not oppose humanitarian assistance to North Korea on condition that all abductees return home.

“The Japanese government has shifted course and is now ready to refer to humanitarian aid for talks” with North Korea, said an LDP lawmaker who works on the abduction issue.

On May 27, Kishida first expressed his intention to hold high-level talks with North Korea. In response, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Sang Gil said in a statement that there is no reason for the two countries not to meet if Japan seeks to improve ties.

“The statement appears to have been approved by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,” a Japanese government official said, expressing expectations for the two countries to resume talks.

But it is uncertain whether Japan and North Korea will resume talks on the abduction issue. Pak said in the statement that the abduction issue had “already been resolved.”

Atsuhito Isozaki, professor of North Korean studies at Keio University in Tokyo, said “Japan is unlikely to act alone in resuming dialogue (with North Korea) as Japan, the United States and South Korea are closely united” in policy toward North Korea.

Jiji Press