The six-party talks should be held "when environment is ready," spokesman Kazuo Kodama told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting here.

Japan was willing to extend its energy supply to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), but the DPRK needs to make "meaningful progress" on the issue of the abduction of Japanese civilians, he said.

The US State Department said Friday that US special envoy for the six-party talks Sung Kim will visit South Korea and Japan next week in a bid to promote the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.