林官房長官、日朝接触「答え控える」

　林芳正官房長官は１３日の記者会見で、日本と北朝鮮の関係者が５月にモンゴルで接触したとする韓国紙の報道に関し「北朝鮮にはこれまでもさまざまなルートを通じてさまざまな働き掛けを行ってきているが、事柄の性質上、答えは差し控える」と述べた。日朝首脳会談の実現に向けて岸田文雄首相直轄のハイレベルで協議を進める方針に「変わりはない」とも強調した。（2024/06/13-12:09）

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday avoided commenting on a media report that Japan secretly came in contact with North Korea in Mongolia last month.
   "While Japan has been making various approaches to North Korea through various channels, I'll refrain from answering (a question about the report) due to the nature of the matter," Hayashi, Japan's top government spokesman, told a press conference.
   Hayashi added that "there is no change" in Tokyo's policy to pursue high-level talks under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's direct command to realize a Japan-North Korea summit meeting.
   The JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, published the report on Thursday that quoted informed sources as saying that the secret Japan-North Korea contact took place near the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator in mid-May. The report suggests that North Korea may be working to move its relations with Japan forward even though the country said in March that it would reject any contact with Japan.