The government backtracked Wednesday on its decision to ban Nippon Television Network Corp. reporters from joining the press corps for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang on Saturday.
NTV journalists will now be allowed to cover the prime minister's trip.
On Tuesday, the government excluded the private broadcaster's reporters from a list of press corps members distributed to media organizations, with NTV having aired a program Sunday regarding possible aid to North Korea.
In its program, NTV reported that Koizumi plans to announce the provision of 250,000 tons of rice to North Korea during his visit.
"It was regrettable, as (the report) may have negative effects when our country is negotiating with the North on various bilateral issues," including the abduction of Japanese nationals, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a news conference Wednesday.
But asked whether it is appropriate for the government to exclude media organizations based on their news reports, the government's top spokesman said such steps should not have been taken.
Isao Iijima, a key aide to the prime minister, contacted an NTV official after the program aired and said the report was an attempt to derail the visit, according to NTV.
He was further quoted as telling NTV that its reporters would not be allowed to accompany Koizumi unless it disclosed the source, or sources, who provided the information.
Hosoda said the exchange with NTV was "excessive and unfortunate," but did not rule out the possibility of a similar incident occurring in future, saying only that such a situation would "rarely" happen.
"Reporting on Japan's (negotiating) cards prior to talks could throw a wet blanket over Japan-North Korea dialogue," Iijima told The Japan Times on Wednesday, adding that Tokyo has yet to come up with a decision on aid to the North.