Japan, S. Korea eye inter-Korean talks preceding Tokyo-Pyongyang meet+

SEOUL, Jan. 15 Kyodo -
Japan and South Korea agreed Saturday that inter-Korean dialogue should be held
first to repair bilateral ties and defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula, to
be followed by direct talks between Japan and North Korea that would address
Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals.
Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and his South Korean counterpart Kim
Sung Hwan told a press conference in Seoul that their countries and the United
States agree that the two Koreas should first engage in talks, following the
North's deadly shelling of a South Korean island last November.
Maehara, who caused ripples when he proposed resuming direct Japan-North Korea
talks that have stalled since August 2008 to address Pyongyang's nuclear and
missile programs and the abduction issue, made it clear that he expects such
dialogue to be held after the envisioned inter-Korean talks.
''Generally speaking, I believe the dialogue between Japan and North Korea can
be held separately from the six-party talks'' on denuclearizing the Korean
Peninsula, Maehara said.
''But at the same time, the timing of such bilateral talks should be based on
movements related to the six-way dialogue and held under appropriate
conditions,'' he added.
Maehara, who paid a courtesy call on South Korean President Lee Myung Bak later
Saturday, told reporters that Lee also showed his understanding of Japan's
policy on how to approach the North.
''South Korea is the one that suffered the shelling and the fatal sinking of
the military vessel Cheonan,'' which was blamed on the North, Maehara noted.
''We have confirmed that it is our premise that the two Koreas need to hold
talks.''
The Japanese minister said it would be desirable for Japan, South Korea and the
United States to respectively promote bilateral dialogue with the North, while
working closely together in dealing with Pyongyang.
Kim also said he expects that Japan will hold talks with North Korea based on
common positions held by Tokyo and Seoul.
The six-party talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States
and Russia have been deadlocked since December 2008.
China proposed an emergency meeting under the six-party framework in December.
But Japan, South Korea and the United States have been reluctant to accept the
proposal, saying Pyongyang must show seriousness and take concrete steps toward
denuclearization before reopening the six-party talks.
In November, North Korea also revealed its uranium enrichment program, a
potential second route to making nuclear bombs, in addition to its
plutonium-based program.
The Blue House presidential office said that Lee told Maehara the uranium
enrichment program unveiled in November should be taken up by the U.N. Security
Council and that the Japanese minister offered Tokyo's consent to that plan.
Turning to bilateral issues, the two foreign ministers agreed they will
continue to work toward creating an environment under which they would resume
stalled negotiations on a free trade agreement. Maehara said Lee also showed
understanding of his request to reopen the FTA talks.
The bilateral FTA talks were launched in December 2003 but have been suspended
since November 2004 due to differences over potential tariff cuts on farm and
industrial products.
Kim told Maehara that Seoul's policy of moving forward the FTA process with
Tokyo ''cautiously but speedily'' remains unchanged and that he will instruct
working-level officials to exchange views with their Japanese counterparts on
this matter, a Japanese official said.
They also agreed to enhance cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and
the South Korean military as agreed last Monday by the defense ministers of the
two countries.
Maehara said Japan will ''fully heed the sensitivity'' of the South Korean
people in its bid to boost security cooperation with South Korea, given Japan's
past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
Kim and Maehara also agreed that summit talks between Lee and Japanese Prime
Minister Naoto Kan will be held this year as part of frequent reciprocal visits
called ''shuttle diplomacy.''
Maehara asked Lee to visit Japan as a state guest in addition to the
president's possible attendance at a summit of Japanese, Chinese and South
Korean leaders to be hosted by Japan later this year. The Japanese official
also said Kim sought a trip by Kan to South Korea at an early date.
The ministers also confirmed that Tokyo will aim for the early transfer of
1,205 volumes of Korean archives that were taken to Japan during its 1910-1945
colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and offer support for war-displaced
Koreans left behind in Sakhalin.
Maehara said Tokyo will implement these steps, to follow up on a statement
issued by Kan last August ahead of the centenary of Japan's annexation of the
Korean Peninsula.
The Japanese foreign minister is on a one-day trip to South Korea, his first
visit to the country as foreign minister. He also discussed recent situations
involving the Korean Peninsula with Unification Minister Hyun In Taek.
His trip to South Korea, originally scheduled for two days, was cut short due
to a reshuffle of Kan's Cabinet that took place on Friday.
==Kyodo
2011-01-15 22:39:14