Japanese and North Korean negotiators on Tuesday ended their second day of talks on establishing diplomatic relations, with the main issues believed to have been those related to Japan's 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
The two countries have so far disclosed little of the discussions that have taken place over the past two days in the Chinese capital, but a Japanese official indicated earlier in the day that prospects for a major breakthrough are bleak.
"This is not something that will produce specific results merely by holding talks once or twice," the official said after Tuesday's morning session. "We should not adopt a hasty attitude when we think about this."
At the onset of Tuesday's talks at the North Korean Embassy, the leaders of the two negotiating teams pledged to do their best to normalize ties at an early date.