Statement by North Korea after talks with Japan
( 2002-09-17 17:24 ) (7 )

Following is the full text of a statement by North Korea carried by the official KCNA news agency after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met in Pyongyang in the first-ever summit between the two countries.

A reference to "Yodo" in the second to final paragraph refers to relatives of members of an extreme-left Japanese organisation who hijacked an airliner to Pyongyang 32 years ago and arrived in Japan this month.

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"The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Red Cross Society informed the Japanese side of the fact that it has confirmed the whereabouts of missing Japanese.

In this connection, a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry today issued a statement. The statement said" 'The DPRK Red Cross Society notified the Japanese side of the fact that it has confirmed the whereabouts of missing Japanese on the list requested by the Japan Red Cross to ascertain.

We take this serious.

It is regretful that these issues surfaced in the past as a product of the abnormal relationship between the DPRK and Japan.

We will prevent such things from happening in the future.

We are ready to provide facilities to those survivors identified to enable them to meet with their families and relatives and those concerned of the Japanese government, if necessary, and take necessary steps to let them return home or visit their hometowns if they wish.

As regards the issue of plane "Yodo," the DPRK government takes note of the fact that those related to it expressed their intention to go back home.

We respect their intention to go back home of their own accord and expect that the issue would be solved as smoothly as possible from a humanitarian point of view."