North Korea, Japan held secret meeting in Mongolia last month: Report

North Korea and Japan held a clandestine meeting in Mongolia last month, reported the JoongAng Ilbo on Wednesday, despite Pyongyang's recent public refusal to talk with Japan.

The Japanese and North Korean flags [JOONGANG PHOTO]

North Korea and Japan held a clandestine meeting in Mongolia last month, reported the JoongAng Ilbo on Wednesday, despite Pyongyang's recent public refusal to talk with Japan.

"Officials from both countries met near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, around mid-May," disclosed a source familiar with the matter to the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

"The North Korean delegation reportedly included representatives from the Reconnaissance General Bureau and foreign currency sectors, while Japan sent a politician from a prominent family."

"Both parties were set to reconvene in Inner Mongolia in the latter half of last week," added another source, though the actual occurrence of this meeting remains uncertain.

The Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on June 6 and 7 focused on Northeast Asian security, sparking speculation about potential North Korea-Japan contacts. However, no North Korean officials attended the conference.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has highlighted the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea, expressing a strong interest in high-level talks and a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday acknowledged the report regarding Japan's meeting with North Korea but refrained from further comment.

"While Japan has been making various approaches to North Korea through various channels, I'll refrain from answering [a question about the report] due to the nature of the matter," Hayashi said during a press conference as reported by Japanese media outlets.

Hayashi reaffirmed that "there is no change" to Tokyo's commitment to pursuing high-level talks under Kishida's direct leadership to achieve a summit with North Korea.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi [AP/YONHAP]

The top Japanese government spokesperson also declined to confirm local reports suggesting Kishida is considering a visit to Mongolia in early to mid-August to address the Japanese abductions issue.

The recent contact between North Korea and Japan is significant, given North Korea's public statement just three months ago rejecting engagement with Japan.

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, mentioned Kishida's proposal for a summit on March 25, only to dismiss Japan the next day.

"Japan has no courage to change history, promote regional peace and stability and take the first step for the fresh DPRK-Japan relations," Kim said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name. "The DPRK side will pay no attention to and reject any contact and negotiations with the Japanese side."

Three days later, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui echoed the sentiment, saying that "DPRK-Japan dialogue is not a matter of concern to the DPRK."

Despite North Korea's conditioning of a summit on Japan refraining from discussing denuclearization and abductions, the recent meeting in Mongolia suggests North Korea is exploring alternative approaches to address its domestic and international challenges.

The composition of the delegations at the secret meeting in Mongolia is also noteworthy.

North Korea's inclusion of officials from the Reconnaissance General Bureau, its primary intelligence agency directly under Kim Jong-un's command, suggests Kim's personal oversight.

Experts interpret this inclusion as signaling North Korea's reluctance to address the abduction issue, given the Bureau's involvement abroad and its connection to the abductions.

The presence of foreign currency earners in North Korea's delegation may indicate economic interests, although speculation also exists that these officials could be from the Ministry of State Security posing as businessmen.

Japan's inclusion of a prominent politician suggests a direct communication channel with the prime minister, underscoring the seriousness of Japan's intent to engage with North Korea.

"Japan fundamentally prioritizes the abduction issue and trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and South Korea, but also recognizes the need to exert independent influence on North Korea," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies. "From North Korea's perspective, they might seek adjustments in U.S.-South Korea-Japan military exercises or protection of Chongryon [a pro-Pyongyang association of Korean residents in Japan]."

North Korea and Japan's recent meeting in Mongolia also marks a departure from the two sides' long reliance on the Beijing channel to communicate. Experts speculate that this might demonstrate North Korea's intent to engage Japan more independently of China's influence.

This shift may relate to recent signs of strain between North Korea and China, notably China's removal of a commemorative plaque marking Kim Jong-un and President Xi Jinping's friendly stroll during Kim's 2018 visit to Dalian.

Despite apparent interest in expedited negotiations, pessimism also exists.

"There are numerous obstacles to improving relations between North Korea and Japan," said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "The complex interplay of U.S.-South Korea-Japan security cooperation and sanctions on North Korea creates significant structural difficulties."

"From Japan's perspective, it will be difficult to advance negotiations unless North Korea shows a more forward-looking attitude on the abduction issue," said Lee Won-deok, a professor of Japanese studies at Kookmin University.

"Contacts between Japan and North Korea should proceed in a manner that contributes to North Korea's denuclearization and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated during a briefing on Thursday.

BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO,PARK HYUN-JU,SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr[