Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Saturday that North Korea should take concrete steps demonstrating its seriousness of purpose and first hold dialogue with South Korea if six-party nuclear talks are to reopen.
Maehara arrived in Seoul for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and other officials on North Korea and bilateral and international issues. It is his first trip to South Korea since taking office in September last year.
The one-day visit came after the top Japanese diplomat expressed willingness to hold direct talks with North Korea this year to tackle Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs and past abductions of Japanese nationals. Pyongyang welcomed the suggestion.
The move, however, raised concern that it might send a wrong message to the provocative regime that is refusing to take responsibility for its deadly shelling of a South Korean island in November as well as the March sinking of a South Korean warship.
South Korea, the United States and Japan have taken a united stance on North Korea, urging the communist nation to first improve relations with South Korea and demonstrate its denuclearization commitment through action if international nuclear talks are to reopen.
Speaking at a security forum in Seoul, Maehara said that Japan remains firmly committed to maintaining strong unity with South Korea and the U.S. in handling North Korea. Japan will continue to back South Korea's position on the North's provocations, calling the attacks "unpardonable."
"It is North Korea that engaged in provocative acts, we cannot agree to talks for talks' sake and (the North) is required to take specific action," Maehara told the forum. "That is the position of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan."
Maehara had originally planned to make a two-day visit to South Korea, but cut it short because of a cabinet reshuffle undertaken on Friday. After talks with his counterpart Kim, he is scheduled to hold a joint press conference later in the day.
Maehara is also expected to pay a courtesy call to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and meet with Unification Minister Hyun In-taek before attending a dinner reception hosted by Foreign Minister Kim and then leave for home later.
His discussions in Seoul will also include ways to bolster bilateral relations and increasing cooperation with South Korea on international issues, officials said.
Relations between the two countries have been in good shape after Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan offered a renewed apology in August of last year for Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, promising to return centuries-old royal Korean books to Seoul and take other steps backing up the apology.
Japan has also called for greater security and economic cooperation with South Korea.
Tokyo's defense minister visited Seoul earlier this week for talks with his counterpart about forging what would be the first military cooperation agreement between the two sides.
Japan has also been eager to strike a free trade agreement with Seoul. (Yonhap)