North Korea wants to resume bilateral talks with Japan

A source close to Japan-North Korea relations said on December 30 that North Korea has asked Japan to consider resuming bilateral talks around February 2013 after they were delayed due to Pyongyang's recent missile test.

Kyodo news agency quoted the above source as saying that the new government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - who is known for his hardline stance on North Korea - has yet to make a decision on Pyongyang's proposal.

“We still cannot understand what Pyongyang means while there is still a possibility that North Korea could repeat provocative actions such as a missile test and a nuclear test,” said an unnamed senior Japanese government official.

Pyongyang has indirectly sent a proposal to Japan to resume bilateral talks after December 16, when Abe is certain to take over as prime minister after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a resounding victory in the Lower House election.

North Korea also asserted that Japan's proposal to set up a joint committee to investigate the fate of abducted Japanese citizens, which was put forward by the previous government of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), must be scrapped.

On December 1, North Korea announced that it would launch a rocket carrying “an Earth observation satellite,” forcing Japan to postpone bilateral talks scheduled to take place in Beijing on December 5-6.

This latest proposal shows a clear effort by the Kim Jong-un administration to make a new start after a change of power in Japan and at a time when Japan, the US and South Korea are increasing pressure on North Korea after its missile test./.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT