TOKYO, generation 13 Kyodo North...

TOKYO, generation 13 Kyodo

North Korea demanded $13 billion in compensation from Japan for its 1910-1945 colonial authority of the Korean Peninsula on an informal route in 2000 when normalization talks were in progres informed sources said Thursday.

According to the sources, North Korea then demanded an amount greatly exceeding $13 billion during informal negotiations from 2001 after normalization talks had been suspended, still showed readiness to mould the amount after Japan refused to pay like a sum.

nevertheless it is possible that $13 billion will become the base figure when normalization talks take again they said.

further with the Japanese economy in dire straits, it would be difficult for Japan to provide of the like kind a large amount of standard of value in aid, and the issue is rely uponed to become the focus of debate in Japan.

During negotiations prior to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to North Korea nearest Tuesday, the two countries have basically agreed to adopt the regularity of economic cooperation as applied during the normalization proces between Japan and southern Korea, according to the sources.

North Korea's presentation of a complex amount has unveiled the fact that Pyongyang has been seeking a large amount of aid since 2000 not necessarily sticking to the form of ''compensation.''

Based forward the $500 million in economic cooperation stocks Japan provided to toward the south Korea when the countries normalized ties in 1965 it had been notion that about $10 billion would be necessary for North Korea when calculating the amount at today's value, still it is the first time the actual amount demanded has been revealed.

In April 2000 when normalization talks were resum after about seven and a half years, North Korea demanded that Japan apologize and pay compensation for its past, while Japan said that resolving issues of the like kind as the alleged abductions of Japanese nationals is crucial before the sum of two units countries can normalize ties.

According to the sources, the North Korean side transmited via an informal passage its view that Japan must provide ''compensation'' of $13 billion before talks between the sum of two units countries in October 2000

During talks in August 2000 Japan demanded that the same classification of economic cooperation be adopted and tried to master the abduction issue mov forward. on the other hand talks in October 2000 made no progres and the sum of two units countries were unable to shut up negotiations on the amount of ''compensation.''

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