Japan hopes to resume dialogue with North Korea in the near future, Shunji Yanai, administrative vice minister for foreign affairs, confirmed Monday.
Yanai was verifying a comment made by Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura the previous day and further specified that such efforts have already been made through "informal channels."
But it is difficult to expect these efforts to lead to the resumption of talks anytime soon on normalizing bilateral diplomatic relations, Yanai said.
Tokyo has suspended talks on normalizing diplomatic ties with Pyongyang since August, when the country test-launched a ballistic missile that passed over northeastern Japan before falling into the Pacific. Komura said during a television program Sunday that Tokyo has been trying to establish "some sort of communications channel" with Pyongyang and that the timing for such a move is not so far ahead.
Komura stressed in the program that regardless of if such efforts are made formally or informally, the two countries first need to establish a means of communication. No mention was made on the possible lifting of sanctions Tokyo imposed on Pyongyang in retaliation for the launch, but Yanai said the normalization talks would remain suspended, considering North Korea's hardline attitude.