Senior officials in the North Korean government in charge of diplomatic affairs with Japan have declared as "invalid" a 2014 bilateral agreement that led to Pyongyang reopening an investigation into the whereabouts of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, it was learned Friday.
People who have recently visited Pyongyang and met with the senior officials concerned made the disclosure regarding the thorny issue that has dogged ties between Japan and North Korea for years.
The stance appears aimed at sending the message to Tokyo that Pyongyang has no intention of making concessions on the abduction issue.