North Korea and Japan reportedly held secret talks in Beijing last month to restart stalled efforts for diplomatic ties.

But the Japanese Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report in the English-language Japan Times. The reports said the talks made no progress toward setting a date for another round of official meetings.

Talks on establishing diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang reopened last April after a more than seven year hiatus. Two more rounds were held in August and October.

Progress has been stymied by North Korea's demands for an apology and compensation for Japan's colonization of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

Another sticky issue is Tokyo's demand for investigations into allegations that ten Japanese citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1960s and 1970s.

North Korea denies the charges, but has agreed to launch an investigation.