N. Korea Leader Says to Watch Fukuda Policies: ROK Official

Oct 05, 05:19 PM

Current Headlines: Seoul, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)--North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Wednesday's summit with South Korea's president said he will watch Japanese policies now that new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda took office, a South Korean minister said Friday.

The North's Kim made the comment after South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun underlined the importance of improving relations between Japan and North Korea, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae Joung said at a news conference.

The leaders were nearly in agreement that the two Koreas will cooperate in normalizing relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang, Lee said.

Normalizing Japan-North Korea relations is important for peace in the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, as well as progress in six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea, and the two leaders exchanged views from this perspective, Lee said.END

(c) 2007 Jiji Press English News Service. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.