[USFK Forums] End to cremated remains dispute necessary to see progress [Kyodo]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Saturday, February 11, 2006

End to cremated remains dispute necessary to see progress

Friday February 10, 10:45 PM

(Kyodo) _ North Korea proposed to Japan during the latest bilateral talks that it will deal with Japanese demands, such as the return of any surviving Japanese abductees, on condition that the dispute over the authenticity of a DNA analysis of the cremated remains of an abductee is concluded, negotiation sources said Friday.

While Japan withheld from giving an answer during the talks in Beijing, suspecting that the proposal was made to receive concessions from Tokyo, it said it will carefully consider how to deal with the issue as it may be "one of the most important points" for the next negotiation, according to the sources.

During talks over the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents on Sunday, North Korea reiterated that the remains belonged to Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped and taken to North Korea in 1977 at age 13 and is said to have died there, the sources said.

But Kunio Umeda, head of the Japanese delegation to the abduction panel, told the North Korean side that the DNA analysis of the remains found they were not Yokota's but those of two unknown people, lodging a protest.

Kim Chol Ho, Umeda's North Korean counterpart, in turn dismissed the protest, calling Japan's analysis a fabrication.

North Korea then called for Japan to set up a panel of experts from both countries, including those who conducted the DNA analysis, to examine the result scientifically. It also asked to have the remains returned.

In addition, North Korea stressed that the talks will not make any progress unless the doubts about the DNA analysis are cleared.

Japan has interpreted that North Korea has effectively proposed to solve the dispute over the remains on condition that it sees progress in the abduction issue, according to the sources.

During the talks, however, Umeda said the DNA analysis is "one part of (the abduction problem)," criticizing North Korea for its refusal to reinvestigate the whole picture of the abduction issue by only citing the one aspect.

Umeda yet asked North Korea to explain why remains other than Yokota's were given to Japan, and to identify the person said to be Yokota's former husband.



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