Japan-DPRK Talks End in Stalemate

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 31, 2002

Japan-DPRK Talks End in Stalemate

Talks on normalizing ties between Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ended in stalemate here Wednesday with both sides deeply divided over key issues, a spokesman of the Japanese delegation said.

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Talks on normalizing ties between Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ended in stalemate Wednesday with both sides deeply divided over key issues, a spokesman of the Japanese delegation said.

At a press briefing Wednesday evening, the spokesman said the two sides had made no progress on main issues including Pyongyang's nuclear arms program and Japanese nationals kidnapped by the DPRK decades ago.

Though DPRK negotiators rejected Tokyo's demand, backed by the United States and other allies, that it should abandon the nuclear weapons program it has reportedly admitted pursuing in violation of a 1994 agreement with Washington, Pyongyang agreed to discuss security matters with Tokyo in a new forum to be set up next month, the spokesman said.

Japan, the United States and South Korea, in a joint statement, urged Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear program in a "prompt and verifiable manner."

"Although we made utmost efforts, to our regret, we failed to secure a change in their position," Japan's chief negotiator, Katsunari Suzuki, told reporters.

It is reported the DPRK delegation, rejecting Japanese demands to scrap nuclear weapons, said that "America's hostile stance toward DPRK is to blame."

Pyongyang said in a statement on Oct. 25 that it would seek a negotiated settlement of the nuclear issue only on several conditions -- the United States recognizes the DPRK's sovereignty,assures its security and does nothing to arrest its economic development.

During the talks, Jong Thae-hwa, head of the DPRK delegation, requested Japan discuss issues including normalization of bilateral ties and Japanese economic aid to the DPRK.

"In line with the historical fact, Japan certainly must apologize and compensate for the psychological and material damage Japan caused to the Korean people," Jong said, referring to Tokyo's 35-year harsh colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

However, Japan insists that it will not establish diplomatic ties or offer financial aid unless the DPRK resolves the abduction issue and scraps its nuclear weapons program, the spokesman said.

The talks, the first full-scale negotiations between Tokyo and Pyongyang in two years, came as a result of last month's summit between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and DPRK leader Kim Jong-il.

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