N. Korea demands that Japan leave talks

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea dealt a blow Tuesday to prospects for further multilateral talks aimed at curbing its nuclear weapons development, saying it will not allow Japan to participate in any new dialogue because it is untrustworthy.

Japan firmly rejected the North Korean position, saying it had a role to play in any talks on the nuclear issue. "We simply cannot accept such a statement," Japanese government spokesman Jiro Okuyama said at a regional summit in Bali.

Although North Korea frequently issues belligerent statements, often as a way to gain leverage over its adversaries, its latest assertion complicates efforts by the United States and its allies to restart six-nation nuclear talks. Washington considers Japan’s participation crucial, saying North Korea’s nuclear programs threaten regional security.

In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, said Japan’s interests must not be excluded.

"We must recognize that the country of Japan has a vital interest in developments on the Korean peninsula," Negroponte said. "Any solution to the problems on the Korean peninsula is going to have to take into account the vital interests of Japan."

In August, the United States, China, Russia, the two Koreas and Japan held talks in Beijing aimed at addressing the North’s nuclear ambitions. Tokyo used the talks to raise another issue it considers pivotal — abductions of its citizens decades ago by the communist state.

It was unclear whether Tuesday’s statement, carried by the North’s official KCNA news agency, meant North Korea would agree to a future meeting if Japan is excluded.