Japanese FM urges N. Korea to improve ties with Seoul

Published : Jan 15, 2011 - 16:18 Updated : Jan 15, 2011 - 16:18

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Saturday that North Korea should take concrete stepsdemonstrating its seriousness of purpose and first hold dialoguewith South Korea if six-party nuclear talks are to reopen. Maehara also said that inter-Korean dialogue should be the starting point for any talks with North Korea and urged the communist nation to take specific steps demonstrating its commitment to give up nuclear programs. The foreign minister arrived in Seoul for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and other officials on North Korea andbilateral and international issues. It is his first trip to SouthKorea since taking office in September last year. The one-day visit came after the top Japanese diplomat expressed willingness to hold direct talks with North Korea thisyear to tackle Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs and pastabductions of Japanese nationals. Pyongyang welcomed the suggestion. The move, however, raised concern that it might send a wrong message to the provocative regime that is refusing to takeresponsibility for its deadly shelling of a South Korean island inNovember as well as the March sinking of a South Korean warship. South Korea, the United States and Japan have taken a united stance on North Korea, urging the communist nation to first improverelations with South Korea and demonstrate its denuclearizationcommitment through action if international nuclear talks are to reopen. Speaking at a security forum in Seoul, Maehara said that Japan remains firmly committed to maintaining strong unity with SouthKorea and the U.S. in handling North Korea. Japan will continue toback South Korea's position on the North's provocations, callingthe attacks "unpardonable." "It is North Korea that engaged in provocative acts, we cannot agree to talks for talks' sake and (the North) is required to takespecific action," Maehara told the forum. "That is the position ofSouth Korea, the U.S. and Japan." Maehara had originally planned to make a two-day visit to SouthKorea, but cut it short because of a cabinet reshuffle undertaken on Friday. After talks with his counterpart Kim, he is scheduled tohold a joint press conference later in the day. Maehara is also expected to pay a courtesy call to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and meet with Unification Minister HyunIn-taek before attending a dinner reception hosted by ForeignMinister Kim and then leave for home later. His discussions in Seoul will also include ways to bolster bilateral relations and increasing cooperation with South Korea on international issues, officials said. Relations between the two countries have been in good shape after Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan offered a renewed apologyin August of last year for Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial rule of theKorean Peninsula, promising to return centuries-old royal Koreanbooks to Seoul and take other steps backing up the apology. Japan has also called for greater security and economic cooperation with South Korea. Tokyo's defense minister visited Seoul earlier this week for talks with his counterpart about forging what would be the firstmilitary cooperation agreement between the two sides. Japan has also been eager to strike a free trade agreement with Seoul. (Yonhap News)