North Korea's chief delegate to the six-party nuclear talks Kim Kye-kwan says his government places high importance on getting closer to its neighbor Japan.

The Choson Sinbo, the official daily of the pro-North Korea General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, said Monday that Kim made the comment when visiting the body's headquarters in Tokyo Saturday.

Attending the forum Northeast Asian Cooperation Dialogue, Kim said the association's headquarters serves as the de facto mission to Japan of the North Korean Foreign Ministry.