The two countries, which have no diplomatic ties, were in final discussion about holding formal talks in April. From 1910 to 1945,
Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula and about 34,000 Japanese died in what is now North Korea after Soviet troops entered at the end of World War II.
Although the remains of about 13,000 Japanese have been repatriated, around 21,000 others are believed to be buried in the North. The talks between the two governments will most likely be held in a third country.
According to AFP report, the Japanese and North Korean Red Cross reportedly agreed to work towards the repatriation of the remains of Japanese who died in the north during and immediately after World War II.
At that time, the two sides discussed the fates of Japanese kidnap victims as well as home visits by Japanese who lived in the North after marrying North Koreans. Although North Korea admitted to kidnapping Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s, Tokyo maintains that Pyongyang did not tell the whole truth and has not owned up to all the abductions.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com