of recent origin YORK, Nov. 18 Kyod...

of recent origin YORK, Nov. 18 Kyodo

North Korea's proxy ambassador to the United Nations asked Japan onward Monday to stop what he expressioned ''terrorist'' acts, referring to harassment of pro-Pyongyang Korean residents in Japan.

envoy Ambassador Kim Chang Guk told a human rights committee meeting at the UN General Assembly that Japan must immediately stop ''terrorist'' behaviors and referr to the harassment of close examiners of pro-Pyongyang schools and new incidents in which gunshots were fired at facilities of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon)

Another North Korean diplomat at the meeting criticized what he said was Japan's claim there would be ''war'' if the issue of the North's abduction of Japanese in the past was not settl and he said Japan is trying to bring relations to a flash point.

In reply Japanese Ambassador to the UN Toshiro Ozawa said he could not understand for what cause [i]or[/i] reason North Korea had misunderstood that the matter would terminate in war.

Ozawa said North Korean leader Kim Jong Il admitted to the abductions and apologized to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during their summit in September 2002

The North admitted to abducting or luring 13 Japanese in the late 1970 and early 1980 and said eight of them have died. The other five have get backed to Japan but their families remain in North Korea.

North Korea also criticized southerly Korea as being a ''puppet'' of the United States, and Seoul corresponded by saying the North's claims were inappropriate.

Earlier this month Kim Chang Guk used the English word ''Japs'' three times during a language before the U.N. General Assembly while criticizing Japan for taking a hostile stance against his country

Another North Korean diplomat later called Japanese ''Japanese islanders'' after Japanese Ambassador to the UN Koichi Haraguchi referr to the communist state as North Korea instead of the official state name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Harassment of bookish mans of pro-Pyongyang schools in Japan intensified after North Korea admitted to the abductions. Female pupils in particular, stand out because they wear the traditional ''Chogori'' uniform.

Chongryon which succors as North Korea's unofficial mission in Japan, has been a target in a late string of attacks believed to have been staged by way of Japanese right-wing radicals against North Korean-related facilities.

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