Japanese Prime Minster Suga Yoshihide said on Thursday that the Summer Olympics in 2021 may be a “good opportunity” to discuss important matters, including a peace deal, with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. He did not confirm Kim would receive an invite, nor did he rule it out.
Speaking with lawmakers at the Upper House budget committee on Thursday, Suga fielded a question on whether Kim Jong-un should receive an invitation to the Olympics. Suga responded that Tokyo could take advantage of the event to hold further diplomatic talks, which have stalled after the regime refused to take concrete steps to dismantle its nuclear program.
Lawmakers also reportedly asked Suga if Japan could hold talks with the leaders of the United States, China, South Korea, and Russia, which he described as a “very important opportunity for diplomacy.” He hinted that it may not be within his power to invite Kim to the Olympic Games, as it is up to the International and Japanese Olympic Committees as well as the city of Tokyo to decide on who is invited.
The 71-year-old elder statesman of the Liberal Democratic Party, who took over from Abe Shinzo in September following his resignation due to poor health, has prioritized improving relations with Pyongyang and securing the release of the dozens of Japanese citizens abducted by the North Korean regime since it was established over half a century ago.
Plans for the Tokyo Olympics remain marred by uncertainty after the Chinese coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to postpone it. They are currently scheduled to take place next year, although it remains unclear if stadiums will be allowed to reach full capacity or if some events will be canceled.
North Korean athletes have always competed at the Olympic Games, finding particular success in gymnastics and weightlifting. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the country’s Olympic team secured seven medals — two gold, three silver, two bronze — in events including weightlifting, gymnastics, shooting, and table tennis.
At the height of peace negotiations in 2018, North and South Korean officials announced that the two countries would compete as a joint Olympic team, the first time they have done so since the Korean War broke out in 1950.
Should Kim ultimately attend the Tokyo Olympics, he would be following in the footsteps of his sister Kim Yo-jong, who attended the Pyeongchang, South Korea, Winter Olympics at the beginning of 2018. Despite the fact she reportedly plays a large role in human rights atrocities committed in her home country, left-wing media in the United States offered her favorable coverage. CNN declared at the time that she had “[stolen] the show” from her diplomatic counterparts.