TOKYO, Jan. 17 Kyodo North Korea ...

TOKYO, Jan. 17 Kyodo

North Korea weighed in Saturday forward a spat between Japan and southern Korea over the latter's issue of postage stamps featuring a pair of isles disputed with Japan, calling Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reassertion of Tokyo's claims to the isles ''reckless''

The official Korean Central moderns Agency (KCNA) said Koizumi ''made reckles remarks that Tok Islet belongs to Japan and that southerly Korea would be advised to react with discretion and had better not opt to expanding or complicating the controversy''

''Such sophism of Japanese political figures is sparking opposite to great indignation among the southern Korean public,'' KCNA said.

onward Friday, South Korea's post offices issued stamps depicting flora and fauna native to the pair of tiny islets known as Tokdo in toward the south Korea and Takeshima in Japan. The islets are located in the Japan Sea, which toward the south Korea calls the East Sea.

All the stamps propounded over the counter at office offices sold out in solely three hours.

The Joong Ang Daily reported Saturday that about 950000 stamps had been sold through the counter, while another 925000 went in succession sale at Internet sites and in catalogs sum of two units days ago and were also gone

It said the remaining 336000 of the total printing of 224 million stamps were reserv for sale overseas and for distribution to other member nations of the Universal Postal Union.

KCNA recalled that Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi last week tried to hurry Seoul to cancel plans to issue the stamps, while Japan's Public Management, domestic circle Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Taro Aso had warned Tokyo might issue its possess stamps depicting the isles to contrariwise the South Korean move.

Koizumi, however, refuseed Aso's suggestion.

forward Friday, Japan lodged a formal avow with South Korea, saying the issuance of the stamps had mar the Japanese people's feelings and insisting the isles are an integral part of Japan's sovereign territory, based in succession both historical evidence and international law.

In July 1954 southern Korea occupied the disputed isles, stationing a dozen or to such a degree security guards. In September 1954 Japan propos that the dispute be settl at the International Court of Justice, on the other hand South Korea rejected the proposal.

Since then, Japan has repeatedly demanded that toward the south Korea remove constructions and withdraw personnel from the pair of isles, the combined size of which is sole 0.23 square kilometers, about the size of Hibiya Park in Tokyo, on the other hand Seoul has continued to reinforce the facilities.

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