Kyodo News

At a time when Japan and North Korea remain deadlocked in their normalization talks, Pyongyang has accepted a visit by a civic group touted by a senior diplomat for its "activities for justice."

The group, led by Koken Tsuchiya, a former president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, visited the North Korean capital in March to interview North Korean "comfort women," who were reportedly forced to serve as sex slaves for the wartime Imperial Japanese Army.

The delegation was sent by the nongovernmental Network for Redress of War Victims by Japan, which is looking into ways to settle compensation issues related to Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

The visit to Pyongyang was the first by such a Japanese group in 81/2 years. A similar organization made a trip in 1992, when Tokyo and Pyongyang were deadlocked in normalization negotiations that had started the year before.

Ambassador Jong Thae Hwa, North Korea's top negotiator in the normalization talks with Japan, received Tsuchiya and members of his delegation at the People's Cultural Palace and talked fervently with them for 11/2 hours.

"Your actions are activities for justice -- activities that will go down in history," he said.

"Japan has not settled its militarism. There are growing voices in the United States and Asian countries demanding that Japan settle its past (deeds)," he added.

Jong expressed hope that the network will remain active to "improve Japan's image."

The delegation's trip to North Korea came against the backdrop of another impasse in normalization talks, which resumed last year. No breakthrough appears to be in sight.

The talks are stalled over issues including compensation for Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and Japan's demand to learn the whereabouts of Japanese believed to have been abducted by North Korean agents.

Japan alleges that 10 Japanese were forcibly taken to North Korea in seven incidents between the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Ken Arimitsu, the network's coordinator, said the realization of the group's trip to Pyongyang shows North Korea's willingness to deal with Japanese civic groups.

A leading member of the Japanese group that visited Pyongyang in 1992 has been cooperating with the Asian Women's Fund, a Japanese body working to provide nongovernmental compensation to the former sex slaves.

However, North Korea and the network's delegates are critical of the fund, which they call a "front" to skirt official Japanese compensation to North Korea.

The delegates interviewed former comfort women.

After listening to one who said Japanese military personnel killed her friend and mistreated her, Tsuchiya said in a voice choked with emotion, "We will do our utmost to realize (Japan's) apology and compensation while you are still alive."

The delegates also attended meetings focusing on the shift in world opinion toward the belief that Japan must settle the issue of compensation. They cited recent moves in U.S. courts and the U.N. Human Rights Commission.

Jong Ryun Hoe, vice chairman of the (North) Korean Measure Committee on Compensation for Comfort Women and Victims of the Pacific War, suggested ways Japan could apologize, including passing a Diet resolution.

Stressing that it is his "personal opinion," Jong said Japan should apologize to move toward resolving "abnormal relations between the two countries."

He said the two sides could discuss the amount of compensation after an apology is issued.

Analyzing Jong's remarks, Shinichi Arai, a professor at Surugadai University and deputy chief of the delegation, said North Korea is likely to be flexible in negotiations after Japan comes forward with an apology and a possible compensation offer.