North Korea, Japan Deal with Key Issues before Historic Summit

North Korea and Japan have made progress in preliminary talks held before the historic Pyongyang summit set for Sept. 17. The two sides have discussed such key issues as Japan’s compensations to North Korean victims related to its colonial rule and North Korea’s alleged kidnapping of Japanese nationals.

Working-level officials from the two countries held talks for two days from Sept. 7 through 9 in Beijing, China and agreed on that the Japanese government will pay North Korean victims based on the terms earlier offered to victims in the South, Japanese dailies reported on the 10th.

Japan has insisted the compensations pay in an economic cooperation form, while North Korea asking for an official apology and payments. According to Minichi Shimbun on the day, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will discuss with his North Korean counterpart during the summit about offering economic aid worth $300 million and loans worth $200 million once the two countries restore diplomatic ties. The total amount is in line with the 1965 compensation pact signed between Tokyo and Seoul.

During the three-day meeting, North Korea, on its part, suggested that it would provide information on two kidnapped Japanese men who were university students in their 20s at the time of the incident in addition to the confirmed information on three others – a fisherman still living in North Korea and two men who already died there, Sankei Shimbun reported. The Japanese authorities, in response, have asked for some pictures or data on the two Japanese men who they say are not in its list involving 8 cases, or 11 Japanese nationals.

According to a Nihongezai Shimbun report, the two sides also agreed on that Pyongyang freezes its missile test program past 2003. In addition, Japanese negotiators asked their North Korean counterparts to include the coming North-U.S. talks in the summit agenda, on which North Korean officials agreed.

Meanwhile, Japanese foreign affairs minister Yaso Fukuda said that the two sides are considering arranging a joint conference after the two leaders agree on the normalization of diplomatic relations in the Sept. 17 summit.

“The two countries are working on the details,” the top official told a press conference held in the morning of Sept. 10. And he denied the press reports that North Korea is opposing Japan’s plan to use a private jet for prime minister saying, “He will visit the country in his official airplane.”

Young-Ee Lee yes202@donga.com