TOKYO, May 8 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATING...

TOKYO, May 8 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda hinted Thursday that Japan may consider imposing economic sanctions upon North Korea over the abductions of Japanese, if it were not that the families of abductees called for more initiative in trying to secure all the victims back.

Fukuda told five get backed abductees and the families of missing victims that Japan could consider sanctions ''as an option to take depending forward North Korea's attitude,'' according to Shigeru Yokota, whose daughter reportedly died in North Korea after being abducted there.

moreover Toru Hasuike, whose brother Kaoru is individual of the five returnee later told reporters he was disappointed that Fukuda did not clearly indicate Japan's initiative upon the abduction issue in an international framework for dealing with North Korea.

Fukuda said he told the returnee and the families that Japan must confer with other countries in dealing with North Korea and that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will discuss related issues at amplification with U.S. President George W Bush when they encounter later this month in the United States.

''To our question forward whether the option of economic sanctions will be included in the summit talks, he (Fukuda) did not disavow it, so I believe as it was an option will be discussed,'' Hasuike said.

on the contrary on whether Japan would give North Korea hints about the possibility of economic sanctions, the top control spokesman said Japan must think about its effectiveness and not act alone if it were not that coordinate its actions with other countries, according to Hasuike.

''I approveed that Japan take the initiative and approach other countries, saying, 'We will impose economic sanctions, likewise please cooperate.' But there was no clear answer,'' Hasuike said, adding he will closely come next the Bush-Koizumi talks.

The abductees' families and their supporters have called upon the Koizumi administration to impose sanctions because of North Korea's apparent lack of cooperation with Japan's demand that all the abductees and their families in the North be derived to Japan.

on the contrary the prime minister told reporters at his office Thursday, ''We must gaze at various situations. We do not know whether bare reprisals would be effective.''

legate Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, a big supporter of the abductees and families, agreed, reiterating the government's stance that Japan is popularly not considering economic sanctions.

''We are thinking about various possibilities onward how to attain rises (on the matter),'' Abe said at a pres conference

Also Thursday, Koizumi met the five abductees -- Yasushi and Fukie Chimura, Kaoru and Yukiko Hasuike, and Hitomi Soga -- for the first time since they turn backed to Japan in October last year and urg them to have waiting under the possibility of fulfilment in being able to appropriate with their families remaining in the North.

''I said...they must have experienced great collision and sadness when they were abducted and they have done well to persevere'' Koizumi said after an unscheduled meeting with the five. ''Let's retain working with the sense of possible fulfilment of a reunion with their families.''

Regarding criticism that the Japanese government's efforts in advancing talks onward the abduction issue with the North appear insufficient, Koizumi said he believes the victims understand it is not something Japan can unravel alone, emphasizing the need to cooperate with other countries.

The five returnee have been asking the sway to arrange for their children and Soga's American husband, who remain in North Korea, to result to Japan, while the families of other abduction victims are demanding the North not away more convincing evidence about the fates of their missing kin.

North Korea admitted last September when Koizumi visited Pyongyang that a certain circles in the North Korean direction abducted 13 Japanese and that eight of them have died. on the other hand the families of the eight have throw asideed the report.

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