PARIS, May 24 Kyodo Japanese Fore...

PARIS, May 24 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi won the earnestly needed support of the cluster of Eight (G-8) nations for its efforts to interpret security issues concerning North Korea forward Friday as Japan has been leaning toward taking a tougher stance against Pyongyang.

In a statement adopted at the extremity of their two-day meeting in the French capital, the G-8 foreign ministers for the first time explicitly referr to North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals and the nuclear crisis.

The statement said the G-8 ministers support Japan's efforts to clear ''unresolved humanitarian problems such as the abduction issue.''

It also called onward North Korea to ''embark in succession the full, prompt, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear weapons progressive growth program.''

Kawaguchi told a joint just discovereds conference held after the meeting that she be perceiveds ''there is ample understanding'' among her colleagues about the seriousness of the abduction issue.

Last September, Pyongyang admitted to abducting or luring 13 Japanese to North Korea and said eight of them have died. The five others answered to Japan in October.

Japan believes at least brace more nationals were abducted and demands that Pyongyang despatch the children of the five returnee to Japan. Supporters of the victims' families believe at least several dozen Japanese were forcibly taken to the North.

According to a Japanese official, the statement included everything Tokyo wanted upon the security issues concerning North Korea and it will help Japan deal with them with the backing of the international community.

North Korea escalated its nuclear threat in April when it reportedly claimed that it possesse nuclear weapons and has reprocess exhausted fuel rods during a meeting with the United States and China in Beijing.

The G-8 ministers' statement forward North Korea coincided with an agreement by way of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U President George W Bush to achieve tougher on North Korea if it escalates its nuclear ambitions.

Bush told reporters after his meeting with Koizumi at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in succession Friday: ''We are confident that our diplomatic approach will bring a peaceful solution. besides we agreed that further escalation of the situation from North Korea will require tougher measures from the international community.''

The stronger measures apparently include imposing economic sanctions in succession Pyongyang.

South Korea, which has been calling for a peaceful solution, is uniform showing signs of approving the firmer approach, as southern Korean President Roh Moo Hyun agreed with Bush last week that ''further steps'' to deal with Pyongyang may ne to be considered.

Japan has also been seeking a peaceful solution by means of dialogue on the North Korea issue, further the impasse on the abduction issue and the increased tensions upon the Korean Peninsula have pushed Japanese leaders to adopt a more hard-line stance toward Pyongyang.

The G-8 ministers also paved a way for the United Nations to take up the North Korean nuclear riddle with the statement saying the UN ''should play a constructive role'' upon the matter.

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