North Korea has decided to resume accepting Japanese tourists after a five-month hiatus and has asked several travel agencies in Japan to recruit people to visit the country beginning Sept. 20, sources in the travel industry said Monday.

The sources said North Korea made the decision Friday, the final day of three-day, six-nation talks in Beijing on the North's nuclear ambitions. It did not mention any reason for the resumption, they said.

North Korea has turned away Japanese tourists since mid-March due to deteriorating relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang. In bilateral talks with Japan on Friday, however, it showed a positive stance toward continuation of discussions.