Japan and North Korea held unofficial consultations over the weekend, with Tokyo demanding a thorough investigation into the abductions of its nationals, it was learned Sunday.
The two sides are also believed to have discussed the schedule for their upcoming bilateral talks.
The two days of talks, which involved senior ministry officials Hitoshi Tanaka, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and Kenji Hiramatsu, director of the Northeast Asia Division, began Saturday in Beijing, government officials said.