North Korea-Japan Red Cross Talk to be Held In China on the 29th and 30th

Asahi Shimbun quoted North Korea-Japan relation source on the 17th that Red Cross talk between North Korea and Japan will be resumed in Beijing, China on the 29th and 30th.

North Korea is likely to deal with the issues of Chosun people disappeared during World War II and atomic bomb victims, and food provisions. Japan is anticipated to reiterate that resumption of amity talk or food provision would not be impossible without settling the issue of kidnapped Japanese first.

The Red Cross talk between these two countries is held after North Korea expressed the intention of resuming the investigation on `disappeared Japanese` in the late, and it is first time after the breaking off in March, 2000. And it is the first official talk between North Korea and Japan since amity talks of ambassador level suspended in October 2000. Officers of Foreign Ministries of both countries are likely to attend the conference.

ksshim@donga.com