A recent joint statement issued by the United States and North Korea on international terrorism may not help resolve the 1970 hijacking of a Japan Airlines jetliner by Japanese Red Army members, who remain in North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hidenao Nakagawa said Tuesday.
"The statement opposes terrorism in general terms, and although it is important, it does not address specific problems. We cannot know if this will immediately lead to the solution of this (hijacking) case," Nakagawa told a regular news conference.
Japan will thus continue to demand that Pyongyang extradite the hijackers through bilateral diplomatic normalization talks and closely communicating with the U.S. on the issue, he added.
The U.S. and North Korea released the joint statement Friday, pledging cooperation to combat international terrorism.