Japan, North Korea to hold talks next week on probe into abductions

Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida gives a speech during a seminar in Tokyo January 17, 2014. REUTERS/Yuya Shino

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will hold talks with North Korea next week to work out the details of Pyongyang's plan to reinvestigate the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the reclusive state decades ago, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.

Since North Korea last month agreed to reopen the probe, Japan has been waiting eagerly to see how it will be carried out, as it could potentially bring about a breakthrough in a bitter dispute between the two east Asian nations.