Asia-Pacific News

Jun 13, 2008, 12:09 GMT

North Korea to probe abductions; Japan lifts some sanctions (Roundup)

Tokyo - Japan decided to partially lift its sanctions against North Korea after Pyongyang agreed to investigate the abductions of Japanese citizens by its agents, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Friday. Japan would allow North Korean ships to enter Japanese ports for the transportation of humanitarian supplies and allow travellers to visit Japan, Komura said. The move came after the two countries met this week in Beijing, where Pyongyang agreed to resume investigations into the abduction cases, which involve the disappearances of 17 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. Japan called it a 'small step' forward but not enough to take part in energy aid to North Korea, which the six-party talks offered in exchange of Pyongyang's denuclearization. A progress was made during the talks as North Korea changed its previous stance that the abduction issue has already been cleared up, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. Five of the abductees returned to Japan in October 2002, but the whereabouts of the rest are not yet known. North Korea said in 2002 that eight had died while two never entered the country. Two others have been added to the list of victims since then. The negotiation also involved a handover of Japanese radicals who hijacked a Japan Airlines plane on the way to North Korea in 1970. Four of the nine hijackers sought asylum in North Korea and still live in the country. Three others have died and two later returned to Japan and were tried and convicted for their role in the hijacking.

And Also

Look Back at the Worst Celebrity Breakups

Look Back at the Worst Celebrity Breakups - PopEater
GASP: Goldstriker creates world's most expensive iPhone - The Tech Herald
Sneak Peak: Smallville - Absolute Justice - Cinema Blend
Guide to Avoiding Red Carpet Faux Pas - PopEater
A&E series 'Hoarders' and 'Intervention' premiere Monday, Nov. 30th, preview

Your Talkback on this Story

Similar articles

Japan extends sanctions against North Korea
ANALYSIS: Japan, under pressure, puts abduction issue on back burner
Nuclear declaration spells diplomatic dilemma for Japan
North Korea to investigate abductions; Japan lifts some sanctions
Japan insists on progress in abduction issue with North Korea

Latest Headlines in Asia-Pacific

Older Talkback

Asia-Pacific: Index

: News; Features

Latest Pics

From Sites we Like

Pictures of the ugly ass bonobo born at the Jacksonville Zoo [Florida]
The choice is to save your wife or your son. This man had to make that choice. What would you do? [Sad]
While news organizations were trying to figure out how two people slipped past the Secret Service to crash a state dinner, CNN was scooping them all on the real story of the day: Menugate [Fail]

More Not News from Fark

In Monsters and Critics

: Arts; Books; DVD; Gaming; Lifestyle; Movies; Music; News; People; Science & Nature; Sport; TV; Archives
Other Languages and Sites: Deutschland (Monsters and Critics); The Tech Herald; Free Games

Entertainment: Arts; Books; DVD; Gaming; Movies; Music; People; Soundtracks; TV
Media: Celebrity Photos; Movie Pictures; Movie Trailers; Movie Posters; Theatre Stills; Celebrity Video; Music Video
Released this week: Movies - USA; Movies - UK; DVD - USA
Distractions: Online Games; Daily Crossword; Sudoku Classic; Daily Jigsaw

World News: US; UK; Americas; Europe; Middle East; Asia Pacific; South Asia; Africa; Business; Education; Health
Science and Tech: Science and Nature; Technology
Lifestyle: Autos; Fashion; Life; Travel

Corporate

: About; Advertise; Contact; The Team; Vacancies; Privacy; RSS; Site Map; Terms; Webmasters

The Fine Print

© 2003 - 2009 by Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All photos are copyright their respective owners and are used under license or with permission. * Note M&C cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.

Servers supplied by Servint