Japan will continue to suspend food aid to North Korea despite an agreement to resume bilateral talks next Saturday in Beijing, according to government sources.
The decision is in line with the government's policy of not normalizing relations with Pyongyang before the abduction issue is resolved, the sources said Sunday.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pledged to provide 250,000 tons of food to North Korea during a visit to Pyongyang in May 2004.
Japan furnished half of the aid through the World Food Program in August 2004, before freezing disbursement of the remainder that December over a dispute regarding one of the abductees.
DNA analysis had found that cremated remains handed over by North Korean as those of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted in 1977 at age 13, were those of two unknown people.
The decision to keep the freeze in place may also reflect a request by Pyongyang in December that the WFP terminate food aid to the country due to the improvement in its food supply, political observers say.
Following Pyongyang's request, the WFP is reportedly considering devising a new aid framework by focusing on helping the country promote development on its own rather than receiving aid directly from the U.N. agency.
Japan is expected to reject any possible requests from the WFP for aid to North Korea under the new framework unless the country shows a sincere attitude toward the abduction issue.
Of the 16 Japanese nationals who have been recognized by the government as being abducted to North Korea, five have been repatriated.
Of the remaining 11, Pyongyang has said eight died in North Korea after being abducted by agents or going to North Korea voluntarily, while two never entered the country. The remaining one has only recently been added to the list of Japanese abductees.