This week marks the 20th anniversary of a pivotal moment in Tokyo-Pyongyang ties — the second meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.

And even two decades after the summit, their failure to resolve the issue of the DPRK’s past kidnapping of Japanese nationals casts a long shadow over their relationship, standing as the last time that the two sides appeared close to establishing formal ties.

A look back at the summit underscores the key issue that remains a stumbling block — North Korea’s claim that many of the abductees have