Japan and North Korea will hold another round of talks between senior officials Dec. 5 and 6 in Beijing to deepen discussions about issues of interest to both sides, the government said Tuesday.
Japan will be represented by Shinsuke Sugiyama, director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and North Korea by Song Il Ho, ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said at a news conference.
"We intend to obtain results by consulting with tenacity," Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba told reporters, while noting that Japan needs to proceed with the talks cautiously.
He nonetheless expressed hope for progress, saying that "discussions about issues of interest to both sides are bound to deepen in the second round."