By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
The normalization of diplomatic relations between North Korea and Japan is crucial for the six-party negotiations on the North's nuclear programs to move forward, officials in Seoul said Tuesday.
The two sides will start two days of informal talks in Beijing Wednesday to seek normalization of their relations.
On the same day, working-level officials from the six countries _ the two Koreas, the U.S., Russia, China and Japan _ will meet at the truce village of Panmunjeom to discuss energy aid to Pyongyang. Separately, Sung Kim, head of the office of Korean affairs at the U.S. State Department, will meet with North Korean officials in the North Korean capital.
``Successful diplomacy between Pyongyang and Tokyo could provide a breakthrough to the stalled six-party talks,'' said an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. ``Other nations involved in the talks are awaiting positive developments in their relations.''
Japan has refused to participate in the energy aid program, insisting North Korea resolve the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals during the Cold War era before it receives aid from Japan.
Pyongyang has admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens. Pyongyang returned five and claimed the other eight were dead. However, Japan believes there were more abductions. The communist state has criticized Japan for linking the abduction issue to the six-party talks.
``We want to make sure this DPRK-Japan bilateral can go forward,'' Christopher Hill, the top U.S. nuclear envoy, said Sunday. ``We have to see in the next couple of days.'' DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He expressed hope that the countries will be able to start a fresh round of the six-party talks in June, saying it partly depends on the Pyongyang-Tokyo meeting in Beijing.
South Korea, the U.S., Russia and China have sent heavy oil, electricity equipment and construction materials to North Korea under an aid-for-disarmament agreement signed last year between the North and other countries involved.
Pyongyang is receiving energy aid equivalent to 1,000,000 tons of heavy oil in return for declaring its nuclear activities and disabling and sealing its nuclear reactor.
The North has completed eight out of 11 steps on the course of disclosing its nuclear programs. The energy-starved state has complained about slow shipments of oil.
During the working group meeting at Panmunjeom, the countries may adopt a written assurance that the aid will be provided ``without fail'' to address such complaints, Seoul officials said.
``The countries will show their pledge for full provision of energy aid in line with steps North Korea takes to abandon its nuclear programs,'' a Seoul official said.
The energy talks will work out details of further energy aid to North Korea, he said.