Japan, DPRK to launch abduction talks soon: Japanese official

Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will hold talks on Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese citizens, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.

"Japan and DPRK will hold intergovernmental talks to follow up on the recent bilateral agreement," Suga said, adding that the date and site haven't been decided yet.

The two sides held a three-day meeting in Sweden last month. After that, Japan agreed to lift some of its sanctions on the DPRK, including those pertaining to human travel, wire transfers and vessels entering ports here, when the DPRK fully launches probe of all abduction victims.

Same as in previous talks, Japan will be represented by Junichi Ihara, director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau in the upcoming meeting, and on DPRK side by Song Il Ho, the country's ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan.

In 2002 the DPRK admitted to having abducted 13 Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, but has since repeatedly stated that the matter has already been settled with Japan, with five of the abductees allowed to return home to Japan and the remaining eight being declared dead.

Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abductees but suspects the DPRK's involvement in many more disappearances.