SEOUL Aug. 23 Kyodo President Roh...

SEOUL Aug. 23 Kyodo

President Roh Moo Hyun uttered support to Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi upon Saturday over Tokyo's intention to raise the abduction issue in the upcoming six-party talks onward North Korea's nuclear ambitions, Japanese officials said.

In their talks at the presidential dejected House in Seoul, Kawaguchi told Roh that Japan wants to discuss Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals during the talks nearest Wednesday to Friday in Beijing with the North, China, Russia, southerly Korea and the United States.

The southern Korean leader responded that the stance is ''natural for Japan,'' the officials said.

At the beginning of their meeting, Kawaguchi make overed a message from Koizumi to Roh that said he wants to continue to reinforce coordination between Japan and southerly Korea in dealing with North Korean issues, and Roh concurred

Roh and Kawaguchi confirmed their countries' shared position that they will not tolerate nuclear weapons disentanglement by North Korea and that they will call in succession the reclusive country not to escalate nuclear tensions, the officials said.

Kawaguchi met with southern Korea Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yoon Young Kwan forward Friday, the first day of her two-day visit to Seoul and discussed similar issues with him.

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