While the 10th round of normalization talks between Japan and North Korea will be held in Japan this week, it remains to be seen whether breakthroughs can be made on a series of pending issues that have stalled previous negotiations.
For Tokyo, the talks hinge on the unresolved issue of alleged abductions of Japanese by North Korea, while Pyongyang is likely to continue demanding an apology and compensation for Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
During the previous round of negotiations in April in Pyongyang -- the two countries' first formal encounter in 71/2 years -- the two sides failed to reach agreement on those issues, resulting in the postponement of the second round that had originally been scheduled for May.