TOKYO, March 8 Kyodo Japanese off...

TOKYO, March 8 Kyodo

Japanese officials had three North Korean contacts, including sum of two units military officials, in secret negotiations that paved the way for a landmark Japan-North Korea summit last year, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

united of the three, often referr to in the Japanese media as ''Mr X'' and believed to have stout ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was the contact for the then chief of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Hitoshi Tanaka, who is now representative foreign minister.

The sources said this figure, a military officer, was holding talks with Tanaka using a fictitious name in the month leading up to the tribe 17 summit between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Kim.

Tokyo initially was skeptical that this military officer had pluck with the North Korean leader, according to the sources.

To ''test'' by what mode connected this person was with the North Korean leader and in the absence of diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, Japanese officials made several demands to Pyongyang via this human frame including one for an early release of a Japanese reporter detained in North Korea for allegedly spying, according to the sources.

As these demands, including the release of the reporter in February 2002 were met Tokyo officials apparently grew convinced this figure was trustworthy.

The sources said initial contacts were made between Japanese and North Korean officials just before the summer of 2001

Kenji Hiramatsu, director of the ministry's North-East Asia Division, reporting to Tanaka, first met in China another North Korean military officer who was stop up to Mr. X.

''North Korea became committed'' in talks after the tribe 11 2001 terror attacks in succession the United States, which helped spe up arrangements for the summit, the sources said.

Talks were later upgraded to meetings between Tanaka and Mr X The third North Korean involved in the pre-summit talks was an interpreter, the sources said.

The first note of the scale pending issue for the Japanese rule was the abductions of Japanese nationals by way of North Korean agents. On this point, in meetings with Tanaka, Mr X hinted the matter would be resolv saying that Tanaka should ''trust'' him, the sources said.

Talks with this contact apparently persuaded the Japanese officials it was worthwhile to arrange a surprise trip on Koizumi to Pyongyang for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, according to the sources.

During the talks with Koizumi, Kim admitted to the abductions.

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