Abe says Japan fully behind US on pressuring North Korea

FILE: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Photo: U.S. Embassy Tokyo/Flickr)

TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his government supports the U.S. stance on pressuring North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, with all options on the table.

In a televised debate Sunday among leaders of major political parties, Abe said North Korea had failed to deliver on past promises and instead used the time to further develop its technology.

Abe said: “We cannot afford being deceived by them again.”

He did not specifically comment on a tweet about North Korea by U.S. President Donald Trump saying that after 25 years of negotiations “only one thing will work.”

Abe said his government supports the U.S. stance that all options are on the table.