New York, KYODO — The following is the gist of the summit meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ROK President Moon Jae-in on Sept. 25:

Japan-North Korea relations

Moon: I conveyed the Prime Minister’s message faithfully to Workers’ Party of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un at the recent North-South summit and received an answer.

Abe: I am grateful for your taking up the abduction issue again.

Moon: Mr. Kim indicated his “readiness to hold dialogue with Japan at an appropriate time to look for ways to improve relations.” A Japan-DPRK summit will be necessary for building peace on the Korean Peninsula. We will cooperate for the realization of a meeting.

Abe: We request your continuous support. I am prepared to meet with Mr. Kim directly.

North Korea’s denuclearization

Abe, Moon agreed on the importance of implementing UN Security Council sanction resolutions toward denuclearization. They confirmed close bilateral cooperation between Japan and the ROK and trilateral cooperation with the U.S.

Abe, Moon exchanged views on a declaration to end the Korean War.

Japan-ROK relations

Abe, Moon shared the view that cooperation toward building a future-oriented relationship is important on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Japan-ROK Joint Declaration this year.

Abe invited Moon to visit Japan at an appropriate time.

Comfort women issue

Abe requested the steady implementation of the Japan-ROK agreement of 2015.

Moon: We will not seek the revocation or the renegotiation of the agreement.

Moon stressed that the foundation established under the agreement “has not been functioning normally, so a solution is necessary.”

Abe, Moon agreed to come up with ideas to prevent the comfort women issue from having an adverse effect on the bilateral relationship.