Japan Afraid of Being Excluded From N. Korea Talks

Japan is stepping up efforts to join talks with North Korea after stressing the importance of sanctions over dialogue for Pyongyang's denuclearization.

Some diplomatic sources say Tokyo's abrupt shift in its North Korea policy is to avoid being left behind, as the other five shareholders of the Korean Peninsula including the U.S., China and Russia, have thrown their support behind inter-Korean reconciliation.

Other sources say Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to divert public attention amid a mounting scandal involving his wife and the sale of state-owned land.

Japan had remained skeptical about dialogue with North Korea despite a series of reconciliatory steps between the two Koreas since January, such as the announcement on March 6 of a planned summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Japan was then surprised when U.S. President Trump on March 9 accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's offer to meet and said they would hold a summit by the end of May.

Trump's decision triggered Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to hold an unexpected summit between the two leaders in April.

The sources said Abe's treatment of National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon was a possible sign he was beginning to take dialogue with North Korea seriously and was seeking the South's cooperation.

Abe was previously criticized in Seoul for not being courteous to the presidential envoy and other South Korean officials when he had them sit in lower chairs than his own.

Suh was one of Moon's envoys to North Korea from March 5 to 6 and briefed Abe in Tokyo on March 13 about his Pyongyang trip after visiting the White House.

During his phone call with Moon on March 16, Abe agreed to work together to resolve pending issues between North Korea and Japan, especially regarding the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.

The two leaders also agreed on working-level discussions to arrange Moon's possible visit to Japan as well as their meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the earliest possible date.

Meanwhile, South Korea and the U.S. have been pushing to cooperate for their historic summits in April and May.

Moon had a separate phone call with Trump on March 16, during which they stressed the importance of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, according to Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan.

"The President said it is the most important goal and...