Citing a diplomatic source, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported the intention is being conveyed to the North through the two countries, which have close diplomatic relations, adding hopes have emerged of a possible Japan-North Korea summit following the US-North Korea summit scheduled for May or early June.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on March 26 that Japan was exchanging views with the North over holding a summit via diplomatic channels in Beijing.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Abe in their telephone talks Sunday that Kim expressed his willingness to hold a dialogue with Japan during an inter-Korean summit on Friday between Moon and Kim.

Asahi also quoted a North Korea expert as saying that North Korean authorities intend to hold a summit with Japan, as long as they hold a successful summit with the United States, speculating that the North is reviewing how it will respond to the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped decades ago.

The Abe administration hopes a Tokyo-Pyongyang summit will provide an opportunity to make progress toward resolving the issue of the North's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the North's nuclear and missile programs.

But Japan is also expected to take a cautious stance in holding a dialogue with the North as there is a possibility of Pyongyang taking advantage of a summit with Tokyo to seek economic support from Japan.

Citing multiple sources, the Japanese newspaper said the North is mulling a strategy of talking to the United States and Japan mainly for its security and economy, respectively, and is expecting to receive US$10 billion to US$20 billion in economic aid if the normalization of bilateral ties between Japan and North Korea materializes. (Yonhap)