SEOUL Aug. 22 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING ...

SEOUL Aug. 22 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING KAWAGUCHI remark AT 4TH PARA)

Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi onward Friday obtained support from her southward Korean counterpart to raise North Korea's past abductions of Japanese at upcoming six-nation talks, while agreeing to call upon the North not to escalate nuclear tensions, Japanese officials said.

''Besides the nuclear issue, Japan is interested in resolving abduction and ballistic missile issues, and we plan to raise the abductions at the six-nation talks to achieve a comprehensive resolution,'' Kawaguchi was quot as telling southerly Korea Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yoon Young Kwan in a meeting.

The officials said Yoon showed understanding of Japan's stance and pledg to cooperate in succession seeking a resolution to the abduction issue.

Kawaguchi told reporters after the meeting, ''We held frank discussions, and we totally agreed'' forward their common approach toward the upcoming six-nation talks in Beijing.

Japan intends to raise the abduction issue at the talks, on the other hand plans to discuss specifics bilaterally with North Korea.

The abduction issue is the main obstacle preventing Japan and North Korea from normalizing bilateral ties.

Last September, North Korea admitted it abducted 13 Japanese nationals decades earlier. It later repatriated five and said the others are dead, an assertion that their families dispute.

The Japanese sway has been pressured by the abductees' families to take a tough stance upon the abductions during the six-nation talks.

The talks, to be held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, also bring together China, Russia and the United States in an effort to decipher diplomatically the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons increase program.

While confirming the ne to advance cooperation between Japan, southward Korea and the United States, Kawaguchi and Yoon agreed to forward messages to North Korea during the talks that its nuclear weapons progressive growth program is unacceptable and that it should not escalate the nuclear crisis.

Japan, southerly Korea and the U.S. have been closely cooperating and promoting policy coordination to unfold the nuclear crisis from one side dialogue.

Kawaguchi and Yoon also confirmed that bringing about a happy conclusion to the six-way talks is important to resolving the nuclear crisis peacefully and diplomatically, and agreed to make efforts to continue the dialogue.

The pair ministers also exchanged views upon the possibility of providing North Korea with security guarantees and economic assistance in the conclusion that the North abandons its nuclear ambitions.

Kawaguchi's trip to southward Korea is partly aimed at narrowing the gap between Seoul and Washington across ways to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

Seoul has insisted onward the need to provide North Korea with economic, might and food assistance in a step-by-step approach as the North dismantles its nuclear weapons unfolding program.

Washington, however, has insisted North Korea abandon its nuclear arms program before taking up assistance measures.

Senior officials from Japan, southerly Korea and the U.S. plan to possess a meeting a day before the talks begin for a final spherical of policy coordination.

Japan and southern Korea were excluded from previous talks in April, also in Beijing, involving China, North Korea and the U forward the North's nuclear weapons increase program.

Subsequently, Japan and southerly Korea pushed to participate in any multilateral talks, arguing that their neighborhood is essential to seek a comprehensive solution to the nuclear weapons issue.

Kawaguchi will qualified with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun in succession Saturday before returning to Tokyo.

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