Japan to partially lift sanctions imposed on DPRK: Abe

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that Japan will partially lift its sanctions imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The decision was made after the two countries had a meeting in Beijing, China on the abduction issue, which is one of the major obstacles for the two countries to establish diplomatic ties.

Abe told reporters in his official residence that a team launched by the DPRK to reinvestigate the whereabouts of Japanese it kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s contains powerful National Defense Commission member.

Japan and the DPRK agreed late May that the latter would launch a committee to reinvestigate the whereabouts of the abducted Japanese and Japan, in return, would lift some unilateral sanctions imposed on the DPRK.

(Updated at 10:39)