President Trump on Monday met with the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea amid speculation of a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posed for photos and spoke to families, some of whom held photos of their loved ones.
“America is with him every step of the way,” Trump said, adding that it was an issue Takachi felt strongly about.
Japan says at least 17 of its citizenswas kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Five civilians were returned in 2002.
There is speculation whether Trump will meet Kim Jong Un during his visit to Asia this week. The president has kept the possibility open, though White House officials have said there are no plans for such a meeting before Trump returns to the United States on Thursday.
“I will do that. If you want to make your point, I’m ready to do that,” Trump said Saturday as he flew to Malaysia.
Trump met Kim twice during his first term, including in 2019 when he became the first sitting president to step into the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North Korea and South Korea. He has often boasted of his “great relationship” with the North Korean dictator.
