Japan News Online

Activists in Japan rap N. Korea for demanding their handover

Activists in Japan who North Korea claims violated North Korean law criticized Pyongyang on Tuesday for demanding during the day's bilateral abduction talks in Beijing that Japan hand them over to the North. North Korea ''lacks common sense as it branded our activities as crimes during the talks which are dedicated to the issue of Japanese nationals abducted (by the North),'' said Lee Young Hwa, head of the Rescue the North Korean People Urgent Action Network which supports people fleeing from North Korea.

Japan, N. Korea again fail to narrow gap over abduction row

Japan and North Korea on Tuesday failed again to bridge their differences over the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents, following their talks on the topic Sunday, negotiators on the topic from the two countries said. The two sides also could not make progress in two other areas -- diplomatic normalization and the North's nuclear and missile programs -- discussed separately in Beijing over the past few days, but a North Korean official said they agreed to continue intergovernmental talks.