AKIPRESS.COM - North Korea's chief negotiator to bilateral talks with Japan said Thursday that Pyongyang will swiftly begin an investigation into the fate of Japanese nationals abducted by the North's agents decades ago, Yonhap news agency said.

Song Il-ho, the North Korean chief delegate, also reacted positively to the announcement by Japan earlier in the day that Tokyo will lift some of its own sanctions against North Korea after the two nations held the one-day talks in Beijing this week.

"We are willing to carry out the investigation as soon as possible and inform the Japanese side of the outcome of the investigation," Song told journalists at the Beijing airport before returning to Pyongyang.

Asked about the announcement by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Tokyo will lift some sanctions against the North, Song replied, "That was already agreed upon. When I return to our country and report details to our government, it will announce measures that will match (Japan's announcement)."

The Tuesday talks in Beijing between North Korea and Japan came about one month after the two nations agreed to reinvestigate the abduction issue. In return, Japan pledged to ease its own economic sanctions against the North and resume humanitarian aid for the impoverished country.

The agreement was seen as a major breakthrough between North Korea and Japan, which have never established diplomatic ties. The abduction issue has long been a key stumbling block to normalizing their relations.

South Korea and the United States reacted cautiously to the deal between North Korea and Japan, with some critics saying it could weaken trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo against Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.