Leaders in Japan will intensify pressure on North Korea to accelerate an investigation into the fate of Japanese people abducted by agents for Pyongyang.
North Korea set up a special committee last July to look broadly into the fate of the abductees and other Japanese who went missing in the country.
Officials in Pyongyang have said the process will take about a year. But they appear to have made little progress after more than 7 months, Japan's NHK World Radio reported.
The Japanese government expects them to wrap up the inquiry by the summer, and is using diplomatic channels to press them for a report as soon as possible.
Senior officials at the Japanese foreign ministry said the whole process, including verification of the report, should take no more than a year.
They said it will take some time to analyze the findings and interview people to substantiate them.
The government may hold a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss this part of the process before they receive the report.