The government "will not simply stay idle" in its relations with North Korea, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Thursday, noting that Tokyo is ready to reopen stalled normalization talks with Pyongyang following its recent moves to open up to the outside world.

In a joint interview with reporters, Kono, who retained his position in Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's new Cabinet, said Tokyo will try to choose the optimum time to resume the talks, which have been postponed since May.

"We don't view the postponement as a breakup of the negotiations," Kono said. "The government will not simply stay idle. We are closely watching North Korea's moves."