PYONGYANG -- Although Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi returned to Japan on Saturday with the offspring of four repatriated Japanese abductees, many may be wondering whether he gained enough for what he offered.
It is not clear if Koizumi's one-day trip to Pyongyang will boost momentum for normalizing bilateral ties. Koizumi said he agreed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that the two countries should resume working-level discussions aimed at reopening stalled normalization talks, but no deadline was set.
The two North Korea-born children of Kaoru and Yukiko Hasuike and three offspring of Yasushi and Fukie Chimura arrived Saturday night in Tokyo on a government jet.