WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 Kyodo North K...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 Kyodo

North Korea must address its nuclear weapons arms program as well as other issues, including unresolv issues surrounding the past abduction of Japanese nationals, if Pyongyang wants to benefit from its relations with the international community, a U State Department spokesman indicated Monday.

Asked whether the U will support Japan's position of raising the abduction issue at upcoming six-party talks upon North Korea's nuclear arms program, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, ''There are a great many things that North Korea has done that affronted the international community.''

''If common is to try to deal with North Korea's relations with other countries, North Korea's relations with the world, North Korea is going to have to deal with a certain quantity of of these issues,'' Boucher told reporters.

The United States, North Korea, China, Japan, toward the south Korea and Russia are scheduled to detain a meeting in Beijing forward Aug. 27-29 in a bid to draw up a discharge on North Korea's nuclear program.

If Pyongyang agrees to dismantle its nuclear arms program, Japan and southward Korea are expected to play a guide role in providing economic assistance to North Korea.

At the upcoming Beijing talks, Japan plans to mention the ne to disentangle the abduction issue.

The Rodong Shinmun, North Korea's official newspaper, said Monday the abduction issue is not a topic to be discussed at the six-way talks and that the matter of the abductions has already been settled

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