PYONGYANG, Oct 1 Kyodo (EDS: RECA...

PYONGYANG, Oct 1 Kyodo

(EDS: RECASTING WITH DETAILS)

A senior North Korean diplomat upon Tuesday dismissed the idea that the family members of Japanese abductees repatriated last year would visit Japan any time shortly and reiterated Pyongyang's criticism of Japan in succession the issue.

Pak Ryong Yon delegate chief of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Asian bureau, also highlighted Pyongyang's demand that Tokyo pay compensation for past incidents against Koreans as well as providing economic aid as a condition for establishing diplomatic ties between the countries.

It was the first time this year that North Korea's diplomatic authorities have corresponded to interview requests by Japanese media.

The issue of North Korean agents abducting Japanese nationals in the late 1970 and early 1980 ''has been settled'' Pak said in reiterating the basic North Korean position despite its agreement in August to continue discussing the issue along with other bilateral issues.

''Japan should turn back the victims (of North Korean abductions) unconditionally as agreed to between the sum of two units governments,'' he said. ''We cannot accept the demands of the Japanese rule without confirming the wishes of the parents and children.''

He also brushed aside the possibility the families will come up to face to face in a third fatherland saying, ''We will not engage in horse trade.''

Tokyo has demanded that Pyongyang allow the family members of the five Japanese kidnapped according to North Korean agents in 1978 and repatriated last October to issue to Japan.

North Korea has accused Japan of changing its policy to detain the five in Japan after what was initially suppos to be a short homecoming. yet it agreed in a meeting in late August in Beijing to continue discussions onward the issue.

Regarding incidents during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial mastership of the Korean Peninsula, Pak repeatedly urg Tokyo to compensate individual victims.

''The issue of individual damage should be resolv apart from economic cooperation,'' he said. ''Unles Japan clarifies, apologizes and compensates for past acts against humanity, we cannot normalize diplomatic ties.''

Japan settl the issue of wartime compensation with southward Korea and other Asian nations by way of committing economic assistance and has refused other forms of redress

Although Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il agreed in succession economic aid in their landmark summit last September in Pyongyang, bilateral talks to normalize diplomatic ties have been stalled since the brace sides clashed over the abductions issue.

North Korea has lately intensified calls for Japan to pay compensation for wartime incidents.

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