Japan News Online

U.S. urges N. Korea to return to nuke talks

The United States on Monday urged North Korea to return to nuclear talks as agreed, and denied any connection between the talks and U.S. financial sanctions in response to North Korea's alleged moneylaundering and other illicit activities. ''We are focused on returning to the six-party talks at the earliest possible date, and we hope that the North Korean government shares that view,'' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. Referring to the sanctions, McCormack said any country is allowed to take measures to protect itself from counterfeiting, moneylaundering or drug trafficking.

Kim Jong Il may be visiting China: Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il may have arrived in China early Tuesday morning on a secret trip aboard a special train, Yonhap News Agency reported from Beijing. Yonhap quoted a source as saying a local official told him on Monday evening a special train was about to arrive from North Korea early Tuesday.

Japan to ask N. Korea to hand over agents responsible for abductions

Japan will demand that North Korea hand over two agents suspected of having been responsible for the abductions of four out of the five repatriated abductees, during negotiations between the two countries expected to take place possibly by late this month, Japanese government sources said Monday. The agents are Sin Guang Su, who Japanese police concluded abducted Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie in 1978, and a person only identified as Pak, who they say played a central role in snatching Kaoru Hasuike and his wife Yukiko, also in 1978.