Japan–North Korea relations

Japan–North Korea relations (Japanese: 日朝関係; Korean: 조일 관계) refers to international relations between Japan and North Korea. Relations between Japan and North Korea have never been formally established and are severely strained and marked by tension and hostility. Japan does not recognize North Korea as a country and there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries.

North Korea and Japan were parts of opposing blocs during the Cold War, with North Korea being allied with the Soviet Union and Japan allied with the United States. In 1955, North Korea assisted in establishing the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, an organization for ethnic Koreans in Japan which acts as North Korea's de facto embassy. North Korea denounced the Treaty on Basic Relations between South Korea and Japan in 1965. Relations improved in the 1970s under Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, though they subsequently deteriorated again. North Korea nevertheless retained ties with the Japan Socialist Party, which was the main opposition in Japan.

Starting from the early 1990s, the two countries conducted lengthy negotiations aimed at establishing diplomatic relations, though the talks broke down over the issue of historical compensation. From 1977 to 1983, North Korea abducted Japanese citizens. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il admitted to the abductions in 2002, which led to outrage in Japan, as previously the kidnapping were dismissed as conspiracy theories. Relations deteriorated further due to North Korea's nuclear program, leading Japan to impose a wide range of sanctions and restrict trade. North Korea has also launched several ballistic missiles over Japanese territory. Japan sees North Korea as a critical threat to its national security, while North Korea has denounced Japan as militarist.