Mr. Abe said on Monday that he would ask Trump to bring up the issue of past North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens, during the US President's expected summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month.

Japan hopes the US will assure that Pyongyang will commit to comprehensive denuclearization, allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its nuclear facilities, and destroy its chemical weapon arsenals prior to the summit. Mr. Abe also said he wanted to remind Mr. Trump of shorter-range missiles and other North Korean security threats to Japan.