Japan mulling to resume inter-governmental talks with DPRK TOKYO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said here Wednesday that Japan is mulling to resume the stalled inter-governmental talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in an effort to resolve abduction issue. Suga said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is resolute to resolve the issue and Japan seeks every possibility to communicate with DPRK to make the issue settled. Abe said Monday that he is willing to hold talks with DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un if the meeting is helpful to settle the abduction issue, adding the resolving process should be dominated by Japan. The inter-governmental talks on the abductions by the DPRK of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 80s were held in China and Mongolia respectively in August and November last year but the dialogue was stalled since the DPRK declared that it would fire off a rocket in November Also on Wednesday, Japan's State Minister in Charge of Abduction Issue Keiji Furuya issued a statement, demanding DPRK return all the Japanese abductees immediately. Furuya said in the statement that Japan strongly hopes the DPRK leadership could realize the return of the abductees and rebuild the bilateral relations, adding his country is seeking to restore bilateral diplomatic ties by settling "the unfortunate past," according to local media. The statement also said Japan will not provide humanitarian assistance to DPRK unless Pyongyang releases the victims of the abduction. The two countries held talks in 2002 and 2004 in Pyongyang between then leaders Junichiro Koizumi and Kim Jong Il and resulted in returning of five abductees and their family members. On Tuesday, Isao Iijima, an advisor to Abe, briefed his recent Pyongyang visit to the prime minister, saying Abe would put his brief into action with unwavering resolve. Iijima, who accompanied Koizumi in the two DPRK visits, made a surprise visit to the country from May 14 to 18 and had "frank talks" with senior DPRK officials, explaining Japan's policies to resolve abduction, nuclear weapon and missile issues. However, Iijima's visit drew the ire of the United States and South Korea, with which Japan said it will coordinate its move on the DPRK-related issue. Meanwhile, Japanese media reported Wednesday that defense ministers from Japan, the United States and South Korea will hold a meeting on DPRK on June 1 on the sideline of the Asia Security Summit in Singapore. The first trilateral meeting of the ministers in three years aims to jointly cope with DPRK's nuclear and missile issues, with the participants expected to confirm coordination in sharing intelligence and vigilance, Japan's Kyodo News cited a government official as saying.