NKorea denounces Japan ultra-right forces - KCNA.

17/1 Tass 271

PYONGYANG, January 17 (Itar-Tass) - The Korean Central News Agency
published on Monday a commentary denouncing attempts of ultra-right
political forces in Japan "to prevent the development of favourable
atmosphere for the start of a dialogue between the new Cabinet of
Ministers of that country and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea".
It said these forces circulate false information about North Korea,
come out in favour of tougher policy on Pyongyang, including the
introduction of new sanctions.
Such actions of Japan's conservative forces "are fully at variance
with the opinion of the international community, seeking normalization of
the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the whole Northeast Asia
through negotiations," the authors of the commentary write.
Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said recently that his country
was ready to resume a dialogue with the North Korean leadership, but has
not specified on which conditions.
The foreign minister stressed that the Japanese leadership was ready
to maintain a direct dialogue with North Korea irrespective of the future
fate of six-way talks on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,
practically frozen in December 2008.
Japan, Russia, China and the USA are involved in these talks apart
from the two Koreas. Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic relations at
the moment.
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