JAPAN’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his gratitude to North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un for expressing sympathy for a 7.6 magnitude quake that hit the country at the start of 2024.
Kim expressed his deep sympathy and condolences to the prime minister and the families and victims affected by the disaster through North Korea’s State News Agency.
The death toll from the Noto Peninsula quake surpassed 200 in the past month.
The message of sympathy was rare considering that both nations have no diplomatic relations.
North Korea has been critical of Japan’s deepening defense cooperation with the United States and neighboring South Korea.
Both countries have also confronted each other over North Korea’s ballistic missile tests passing through Japan’s airspace and territory.
The rare message of sympathy raised hopes that North Korea could be open to starting a dialogue with Japan after showing no interest in Tokyo’s goal to hold a bilateral summit.
