A/HRC/19/65 6. In Japan, the Special Rapporteur held several meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister in-charge of abduction issues, the Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador in charge of United Nations affairs and the Deputy Director General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs. He also interacted with national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomats and other relevant individuals working on the human rights and the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. While in Japan, the Special Rapporteur ensured that he spent substantial time listening to the families of abducted Japanese nationals and visited the cities of Niigata and Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture, where five Japanese nationals were abducted in 1977 and 1978. 7. While the main focus of his visit to the Republic of Korea and to Japan was to gather information on human rights violations of the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the issue of abduction of foreign nationals by the agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, family reunion of separated Korean families, the situation of asylum-seekers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the humanitarian situation, in particular the food situation in that country, the Special Rapporteur was also briefed on the current status of the six-party talks, bilateral Japan-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea meetings, and the situation in the Korean peninsula in general. 8. At the outset, the Special Rapporteur wishes to point out that there has not been much progress on most of the above-mentioned issues since his previous visits to the Republic of Korea and to Japan, in November 2010 and January 2011, respectively. Indeed, the Special Rapporteur believes that there has been a significant deterioration in the human rights situation in the country. In the Republic of Korea and in Japan, the Special Rapporteur’s meetings seemed to substantiate the reports of the dire humanitarian situation and absence of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights for the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The question of 17 identified cases of abduction of Japanese nationals by the agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea also remains unresolved. III. Overview of the current situation 9. In early 2011, Kim Jong-Un was made a four-star general and appointed deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’' Party, which was seen by many international observers as a part of the power transition from his father, Kim Jong-il. In December 2011, the death of Kim Jong-il led to the succession of Kim Jong-Un as the new leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Since his succession in December 2011, State media have bestowed on him a number of new titles, such as the “Great Successor”, the “Supreme Leader” and the “Sagacious Leader”. In the light of the succession, different views were shared with the Special Rapporteur on how the country might proceed in its approach to engaging with the international community and addressing human rights concerns. The Special Rapporteur is of the opinion that the ramifications of this change on the people of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and on the international community will only unfold in the comings months. 10. The Special Rapporteur hopes that the new leadership in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will use the recent succession as an opportunity to engage with the international community and to secure global confidence. The Special Rapporteur believes that the current transition may be a window of opportunity for the country to adopt a reform process and address all questions and concerns in relation to human rights, which will be welcomed from all quarters. 4