A pro-North Korean newspaper published in Japan says North Korea's foreign ministry has stressed that Japan's attitude on the atrocities it committed during its colonial rule of Korea will decide the fate of bilateral relations.

Quoting a foreign ministry official in the North, the Choson Sinbo on Thursday reported that starting at the beginning of the year, Japanese officials have shown an interest in improving relations with Pyongyang.

However, the paper said that correcting the past should come first if Japan hopes to see relations with North Korea normalized.

The official reportedly said that if the historical issues are resolved, other issues between the two sides could be easily settled.