Japan extends olive branch to North Korea over abduction issue

Japan made conciliatory gestures toward North Korea on Monday, proposing the nations overcome their mutual distrust to deepen cooperation, in a bid to solve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.While demanding an immediate return of the abductees, a Japanese delegate told a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly Third Committee, which deals with human rights issues, that Tokyo and Pyongyang should contribute to peace in Northeast Asia through their cooperation.Hiroaki Ichiba, counsellor at Japan's permanent mission to the United Nations, called on North…READ FULL ARTICLE