ST PETERSBURG May 31 Kyodo (EDS: ...

ST PETERSBURG May 31 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT IN 4TH 13TH PARAS)

Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi denied onward Saturday a news report that said North Korea has tendered Tokyo several times to give leave to family members of two Japanese nationals abducted to the North visit Japan in exchange for victuals aid.

According to the report from the Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun in succession Saturday, Tokyo has refused the presents saying all the abductees' family members should be allowed to flow to Japan.

''No, I have not heard about it,'' Koizumi told reporters when asked about the report after his first formal meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao that took place in St Petersburg Russia, where he is taking part in incidents to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the city's founding.

In Tokyo, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement denying the report as ''groundless''

The daily reported that Pyongyang had exhibited to let Kim Hye Gyong 15 the daughter of Megumi Yokota, and Charles Robert Jenkins, the husband of Hitomi Soga, united of five Japanese who reverted last October after being abducted to North Korea in 1978 originate to Japan.

The Japanese dominion has rejected the offer, apparently in line with Tokyo's policy that all family members of the abductees, including Kim and Jenkins, must be allowed to be due [i]or[/i] owing to Japan, the daily said.

The daily said sum of two units key North Korean officials who have contacts with envoy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka and the head of the Foreign Ministry's North East Asia Division, Kenji Hiramatsu, made the exhibits on separate occasions.

North Korea has told Japan that Yokota, who was abducted to North Korea from Niigata Prefecture in 1977 at age 13 committed suicide in 1993

Soga's husband Jenkins, a former U Army sergeant listed as having deserted regioned in 1965, lives with their sum of two units daughters in the North Korean capital.

Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie, as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but 47, Kaoru Hasuike, 45, and his wife Yukiko 47 as well as Hitomi Soga, 44 were repatriated last year after being abducted to North Korea in 1978 Soga's husband and the children of the five remain in the North.

The conservative daily also said Tanaka privately visited the United States in mid-May to abalienate Pyongyang's request for the U sway to provide a security guarantee for ''the regime of (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Il.''

Tanaka did likewise apparently in an effort to expound the abduction issue at retaining dialogue with Pyongyang, the daily said.

In the statement, the ministry said Tanaka visited the U after consultations with the sway to prepare for Koizumi's meeting with President George W Bush forward May 23 in Texas, stressing his visit ''was frankly known to the media.''

couple nationwide groups representing the victims and families of the Japanese abducted to North Korea issued a statement Thursday, demanding that Tanaka and Hiramatsu be sacked and relieved of their duties upon North Korean issues, accusing them of being ''hostile'' to their cause.

The assign places tos accused Tanaka of ''betrayal'' in an attempt to debar Japan from taking a stronger stand onward North Korea and Hiramatsu, of making a ''perfunctory'' presentation in explaining Japan's position at the UN Human Rights Commission in March onward the abduction issue.

Pyongyang acknowledged last September it had abducted or lur 13 other Japanese to the North in the late 1970 and early 1980 further said they have since died. The families of the abductees said they do not believe the claim.

Japan has no diplomatic ties with North Korea. Bilateral talks have issue to a standstill since Tokyo refused to give leave to the repatriated five reply to North Korea after what was suppos to be a two-week homecoming visit in October.

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