North Korea, Japan governments begin talks while nations? youth play soccer

Representatives from the governments of North Korea and Japan began the first of their two-day talks yesterday in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. This is a follow-up meeting to the two sides? initial talks in August, their first diplomatic encounter in over four years, where the hope is they can begin shedding light on the last of the Japanese citizens who were abducted by Pyongyang spies in the 1970s and 80s, as well as work towards normalizing relations.

Japan and North Korea have never had diplomatic relations, and ties between the countries have long been strained to say the least. Among the contributing factors to this are the refusal of North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program and conducting long-range missile tests in the direction of Japanese territory, an issue that results in Japan supporting U.N. sanctions against the communist country. Japan also feels that the North Korean government has never fully admitted how many Japanese nationals were kidnapped over the years and what happened to them. Five abductees were released in 2002, and while Pyongyang has in the past said the topic is ?closed,? many in Japan, including those who?ve returned from North Korea, say there are still others alive in the country.

The media from either country is not allowed to witness the meetings, and officials only say that they will discuss matters of mutual interest. Mongolia is hosting the exchange in an effort to further understanding and ensure stability between the two sides.

While these negotiation are being held, however, young athletes from both countries met in North Korea for a friendly sports exchange. A group of around 40 of the best students from Japan?s Nippon Sport Science University travelled to Pyongyang to play soccer with fellow students from a local university, as well as compete in judo and several other events.

[via Washington Post]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JapanDailyPress/~3/xdA8IyR4TIU/north-korea-japan-governments-begin-talks-while-nations-youth-play-soccer-1618520

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