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KCNA Urges Japan to Honestly Approach DPRK-Japan Inter-governmental Talks

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

    Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- We draw attention to the fact that the conservatives within the Japanese government are making remarks getting on the nerves of the DPRK in the run-up to the DPRK-Japan inter-governmental talks for the normalization of their relations. They have worked hard to build up the public opinion that the solution to the "abduction issue" should be given priority at the talks. Foreign Minister Aso at a full-dress meeting of the House of Representatives in January said that there could be no normalization of relations with the DPRK without the comprehensive settlement of pending issues including the abduction issue. Recently he formally announced that the Japanese abducted to north Korea number 50, much more than the figure reported in the past. Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, too, blustered that Japan should strongly demand a comprehensive solution to the issue of Japanese abductees at the soon-to-be-resumed inter-governmental talks with the DPRK, adding that it is natural to pressurize north Korea in case it does not take a sincere approach. This is aimed to fan up sentiment and mindset hostile to the DPRK in a bid to block the implementation of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and the process of improving the bilateral relations.
    The Japanese conservative forces are not pleased with the talks for the normalization of bilateral relations. Their top priority is to achieve the political purpose pursued by them.
    Abe and Aso, typical hard-liners in the Japanese political circle, are keen to win political clout backed by the right-wing nationalist forces rapidly emerging at home.
    What they seek is to spoil the positive environment created for the solution of the issue of improving the relations between the two countries at the Beijing contacts, becloud the prospect of improving the bilateral relations and thus push the talks to a collapse.
    This cannot be construed otherwise than an extension of their moves to hamstring the efforts to implement the Pyongyang declaration and push the hostile relations between the two countries to extremes, displeased with the adoption of the declaration which calls for the normalization of the bilateral ties. It is their true aim to persistently raise the "abduction issue" in a bid to go without settling Japan's past, the core issue of improving the bilateral relations. For the Japanese conservatives to view the "abduction issue" as a key to settling the issue of normalizing the bilateral ties is a short-sighted perspective of denying political and historical facts.
    The DPRK and Japan have become distant countries although they are close to each other geographically because Japan invaded Korea and brought unspeakable pain and huge damage to its people and has failed to settle the crime-woven past as yet. It is the height of effrontery for Japan to shift the responsibility for the worsening relations on to the victim, disregarding the historical reason behind it and the present situation.
    No wonder, foreign media comment that new assertions made in Japan so far as regards the "abduction issue" are aimed to make it the focus of the DPRK-Japan talks.
    The Japanese conservatives should refrain at once from such mean act designed to attain their sinister political purpose. Japan much touted "abduction issue" will get it nowhere.