Kim Jong Un's sister seen shaking up Japan-U.S.-South Korea ties

TOKYO/SEOUL -- A rare overture for a summit with Japan by the sister of the North Korean leader is widely seen as an attempt to drive a wedge into the three-way alliance among Japan, the U.S. and South Korea.

Kim Yo Jong's statement, issued by state media on Thursday, urges Japan to drop "the already settled abduction issue" so that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida can visit North Korea, referring to the past abductions of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang agents. Japan has said it cannot accept such a condition.