WASHINGTON -- Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's surprise visit to Pyongyang when he met Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader.
The historic summit took place on Sept. 17, 2002. It was intended to improve relations between North Korea and Japan as well as those between Pyongyang and Washington. North Korean missile development and nuclear testing have, however, has continued over the past two decades, and no progress has been made on the sensitive issue of abducted Japanese nationals.
