The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday denounced Japan for "seeking an ulterior political purpose" in recent inter-governmental preliminary talks.

During the talks, held in Beijing late last month, "both sides informed the other side of their stands on the inter-governmental talks that will be held regarding the issue of the remains of Japanese" buried in the DPRK, the official KCNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

"They also discussed the issues concerning the agenda items, level, place and time for the talks and agreed to provide coordination through diplomatic channel in the future," the spokesman added.

However, he noted, the Japanese government and some media are saying that the DPRK has accepted the inclusion of "abduction issue" in the main agenda items of the talks and the DPRK is expecting sort of economic rewards through the issue of remains of Japanese.

"But this is a sheer lie," he stressed, adding that "the misrepresentation of facts which is a mockery of the good faith shown by the DPRK increases the suspicion as to the Japanese side's abuse of the issue of remains for meeting its sordid political purpose."

The spokesman stressed that Pyongyang has been addressing the issue of the remains of Japanese "in good faith and with magnanimity from the humanitarian stand and will keep doing so."

"But if Japan keeps seeking an ulterior political purpose, it will adversely affect the DPRK-Japan inter-governmental talks," he said.

According to the spokesman, bilateral Red Cross talks were held before the preliminary talks, where both sides agreed that government involvement is necessary for a satisfactory solution to the issue of remains of Japanese.

The preliminary talks were the results of suggestions made by the participants in the Red Cross talks to their governments, he said.

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