The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) strongly demanded that Japan clears its stance on historical issues and faithfully implements the Feb. 13 agreement on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the country's official news agency KCNA reported on Tuesday.

The KCNA issued a commentary, criticizing Japan of its insistence on solving the "abduction issue" first, which attempted to scuttle the agreement reached at the six-party talks, during a working group meeting for the normalization of DPRK-Japan relations,

The commentary said that the "abduction issue" has been settled. What Japan should do is to "settle its past in such a manner as to convince the Korean people by way of compensating for the damage done to them and the crimes perpetrated against them" and to make up for its past crimes against humanity.

It also said that the energy assistance to the DPRK was what the six parties including Japan agreed upon at the talks, but Japan announced that it could not offer energy assistance if no progress is made in the settlement of the "abduction issue."

"The DPRK has never asked Japan for any assistance," and "it would not affect much the DPRK's economic development" if Japan could not provide energy assistance, the commentary said.

The six parties to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue talks comprising China, the DPRK, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia began a new round of talks in Beijing on March 19.

Source: Xinhua