Japan and North Korea wrapped up a third day of talks on Monday hoping to make progress on normalising ties, but the Stalinist regime’s abduction of Japanese citizens remained the major stumbling block.
“The normalisation of diplomatic ties itself will be difficult unless a solution can be brought about on issues including that of the abductions,” Japan’s top envoy on the issue, Koichi Haraguchi, told reporters in Beijing.
North Korea declared the abduction question settled after repatriating five kidnap victims following a landmark summit in 2002 between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il.
But Tokyo has insisted at least eight Japanese are still alive in North Korea and are being kept hidden because they know too many secrets about the regime.
“In these talks we honestly and in an open manner tried to understand each side’s stance and continue to engage in dialogue,” said Song Il-Ho, North Korea’s chief negotiator in Monday’s negotiations.
The talks in the Chinese capital could last up to five days, with different panels expected to handle separate issues.
On Sunday, Japan told Pyongyang to return surviving Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by North Korean agents, mostly during the 1970s, and thoroughly investigate the kidnappings.
Monday’s talks had been scheduled to deal with “the normalisation of relations”, an issue that both sides have sought to solve since Koizumi’s 2002 visit.
The phrase is seen largely as diplomatic language for North Korea’s wish to get Japan to come to terms with its colonial rule on the Korean peninsula, which lasted from 1910 to 1945.
“This has not been solved even after 60 years have passed,” North Korean delegate Song said.
“We would like to confirm whether the Japanese side has the will to settle this historical issue in reality.”
A North Korean demand for the “return of cultural assets” and the status of ethnic Koreans in Japan were also on the agenda on Monday, the delegates said.
However Japan remained firm, as they have for many years, that the abduction issue was of most concern and could not be ignored in any “normalisation” talks.
“For our side, we pointed out the connection between the settlement of the past and solutions of the outstanding issues,” Haraguchi said at the end of Monday’s talks.
“We did not necessarily reach a complete agreement but because it is an important issue, we decided we should continue efforts so that we can reach a common recognition,” he said.
Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, Shinzo Abe, repeated his nation’s stance in Tokyo on Monday after Sunday’s talks made little progress.
“We believe the North Korean side needs to make a political decision over the abduction issue. We want them to change their stance on this issue,” said Abe, the government’s chief spokesperson.
Later this week, the two sides are expected to talk about security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
Japan is also involved in six-nation talks, together with host China, South Korea, the United States and Russia, aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and energy assistance.
The talks are currently stalled, after Washington imposed economic sanctions on financial institutions linked to North Korea’s alleged illegal activities. Pyongyang has accused the United States of planning for war. – AFP