朝鲜释放了两名日本工人，他们因被怀疑从事犯罪活动而被关押了将近一年的时间。
这两名日本人被控去年3月在朝鲜一座边界城镇观光时走私毒品和假冒商品。
日本官员星期五表示，两名日本人已经于本星期早些时候经中国返回日本，但拒绝说他们为什么获释。
日本全国公共安全委员会主席松原仁表示，朝鲜释放日本人的举动“可以被视为是一个积极的信息”而且可能表明在金正恩的新领导下的政策转移。
日本和朝鲜之间的关系由于日本声称平壤绑架日本公民而长期处于紧张之中。据称大部分的日本人是在冷战时期被绑架的。
很多人认为，平壤绑架日本公民的目的是强迫他们给朝鲜间谍教授日语和日本文化。
North Korea has released two Japanese workers who had been detained for almost a year on suspicion of criminal activity.
The men were charged with drug smuggling and counterfitting while visiting a North Korean border town last March.
Japanese officials said Friday the men were returned by way of China earlier this week, but declined to say why they were released.
Japan's National Public Safety Commission chief Jin Matsubara said the release "can be taken as a positive message" and that it could indicate a policy shift under the new leadership of Kim Jong Un.
Relations between Japan and North Korea have long been strained by Tokyo's claims that Pyongyang had been kidnapping Japanese nationals, mostly in the Cold War era.
Many contend that Pyongyang kidnapped the Japanese citizens in order to force them to teach the Japanese language and culture to North Korean spies.