Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is pushing for a summit with Kim Jong Un in bid to boost his low approval rating, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister insinuated on Monday, claiming he recently floated the idea again through an unidentified “channel.”

In a statement published by state media, Kim Yo Jong repeated her position that Japan must first address “distrust” in bilateral ties and stop “infringing” on the DPRK’s sovereignty by raising the abduction issue, referring to North Korea’s kidnapping of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 80s.

“Shortly ago, Kishida, through another channel, conveyed his intention to personally