Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is reportedly considering whether to establish liaison offices in Japan and North Korea to resolve issues concerning Japanese abductees in the North, despite opposition from a group representing abductees’ families. 

According to Japan’s Sankei Shimbun daily on Friday, the new prime minister called the association Wednesday, a day after being sworn in, to convey his intentions regarding the liaison offices.

During the call the association voiced its opposition to the plan, but Ishiba reportedly said he would pursue it anyway and sought the families’ understanding. 

Sankei said the association opposes the liaison offices because they fear that going ahead with the plan will lead to the dissemination of information favorable to North Korea.

Last month, Ishiba said in an interview that the establishment of liaison offices might take priority over a North Korea-Japan summit as a way to resolve the abduction issue.