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Former Japanese PM Supports Japan-DPRK Talks
Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama Tuesday expressed his support for the Japanese government's efforts to normalize ties with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Murayama conveyed his support during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori at Mori's official residence in Tokyo.
Bilateral ties between the two countries should be normalized by the 2002 World Cup finals, which Japan and South Korea will co-host, said Murayama, who is leading a group on normalizing relations between Japan and the DPRK.
Murayama, a former leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) also stressed that Japan should be proactive on the issue and should not be left behind after last month's historic inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.
Mori said his government will exert its utmost efforts to resume negotiations with the DPRK as early as possible.
Negotiators from Japan and the DPRK met in April to resume talks on normalization that collapsed in 1992. A second round of talks scheduled in May was subsequently postponed.
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