Japan's Abe says upcoming North Korea summits could mend ties between North, Japan

FILE PHOTO - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters after he attends a cherry blossom viewing party at Shinjuku Gyoen park in Tokyo, Japan, April 21, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

SEOUL (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said success at upcoming summits North Korea has planned with South Korea and the United States could also mean North Korea and Japan could normalise ties, the South's presidential Blue House said on Tuesday.

"The success of the two summits means North Korea's nuclear and missiles issue as well as the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea will be resolved, and in that case North Korea and Japan will be able to move on from the past and normalise ties," Abe was cited as saying in a phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.