NHK reported on its website that Foreign Minister Kono told reporters this morning that today he will travel to South Korea for the first time since taking office and will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang. Kono reportedly said he will confirm with Kang the commitment to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea to get it to relinquish its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, irreversible, and verifiable manner. He also reportedly said he plans to ask South Korea to raise the abduction issue during the inter-Korean summit slated for April 27. The network also quoted Kono as saying: “Citizens of not only Japan and South Korea but also other nations, including the United States, have been abducted or taken into custody by North Korea. We hope to bring up the issue and work to resolve it at every opportunity.”