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Japan and North Korea agreed to continue negotiations on Pyeongyang's abductions of Japanese citizens after wrapping up a three-day meeting in the communist capital Friday. However, reports indicated the latest round of dialogue merely served to confirm each other's position and no compromise was reached on Tokyo's demands for a visit to Japan by the abductees' children.
A five-member Japanese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka held talks with Pyeongyang's First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju, a close diplomatic aide to North Korean leader Kim Il-sung Friday morning. The Japanese diplomats then met with Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong-il later in the afternoon. Tokyo's Foreign Ministry did not provide details of the talks, saying the two sides had presented their positions.
The Japanese delegates also including Mitoji Yabunaka, head of the foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau were believed to have outlined Tokyo's basic position that stalled talks on bilateral normalization would only resume once Pyeongyang lets the children of five former Japanese abductees join their parents. The five were allowed to visit Japan in October 2002 and stayed despite plans for them to return to North Korea. The five were among 13 Japanese nationals who were kidnapped by the North in the late 1970s and early 80s.
Pyeongyang has stated the remaining eight had died. In addition to the abduction issue, reports indicate the dispute on Pyeongyang's nuclear tension topped the agenda ahead of the resumption of six-nation talks later this month.
In Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi refrained from making any judgments on the talks until he is briefed on the meeting on Sunday.
Arirang TV
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