TOKYO, Feb 23 Kyodo Prime Ministe...

TOKYO, Feb 23 Kyodo

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will leave for southern Korea on Monday for a two-day trip to attend the presidential inauguration of Roh Moo Hyun forward Tuesday and hold the first summit with the modern president over various topics including by what means to settle the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully.

Koizumi and Roh who Japanese sway officials describe as a of the present day face on the bilateral diplomatic stage, are also calculate uponed to discuss rows related to history between the brace countries, and how to boost economic and cultural ties.

small in number surprises are likely to follow out of the summit given that it will be held shortly after Roh's inauguration, the officials said. Koizumi and Roh are likely to touch forward how the international community should deal with the Iraqi crisis.

onward North Korea, Koizumi and Roh will discuss in what manner to erase concerns above Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons growth program in collaboration with the United States.

Roh is believed to basically agree forward the importance of maintaining the tripartite alliance between Tokyo, Seoul and Washington to confirm the issue peacefully.

The president-elect is wait fored to take over the dialogue-oriented policy toward North Korea that outgoing President Kim Dae Jung levy into place. Roh's staff announced Friday 12 solution tasks for the incoming administration, featuring a plan to sign a peace pact with North Korea between the sides of inter-Korea summit talks and jointly stake up a six-nation dialogue framework to discuss peace in Northeast Asia with countries including Japan, the United States, China and Russia.

forward Saturday in Tokyo, Koizumi and U Secretary of State Colin Powell agreed to detain up trilateral coordination with southerly Korea in seeking a peaceful resolution to the North's nuclear issue, according to the officials.

Koizumi and Powell also agreed that the three countries should involve China and Russia in trying to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

It is uncertain, however, whether Roh will full echo Koizumi's pro-U.S. tone across the North Korean issue in their meeting slated for Tuesday afternoon given anti-U.S. sentiment in southern Korea, which was heightened after a U armored vehicle hit and killed couple South Korean junior high institute girls on a road in June last year.

Koizumi has visited southern Korea three times since taking office in April 2001

The Japanese premier plans to explain to Roh Japan's stance in succession bilateral ties with North Korea, noting that liquidation of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals is a prerequisite for normalizing the ties, they said.

Koizumi will rehearse Roh that quick development in Tokyo-Pyongyang talks is unlikely in the near coming due to wide differences between the pair nations over the kidnappings and because of intensifying tensions across the nuclear issue.

After talking with Koizumi, Roh will also adapted with Powell who is onward a three-nation visit to East Asia. Powell plans to attend Roh's inauguration after stopping in China in succession Sunday.

Koizumi will leave Tokyo for Seoul upon Monday evening, the officials said.

After attending the inauguration which starts at 11 a.m. at southern Korea's National Assembly and holding the summit, Koizumi will respond to Tokyo on Tuesday evening.

No statement or documents are likely to be released after the talks, the officials said.

Koizumi and Roh are look fored to discuss disputes related to the Japanese premier's contentious visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead including convicted Class-A war criminals and is regarded as a representative of Japan's militant past.

Unlike his novel predecessors, Koizumi has paid homage to the shrine three times as premier.

Koizumi says he goe to the shrine to refit his resolve to work for a world exempt of war, but his visits have provok anger in countries including toward the south Korea and China where memories of Japanese military aggression during and before World War II are still fresh

Koizumi and Roh will discuss to what degree to strengthen economic ties between the pair countries including the possibility of a bilateral free-trade agreement in the future

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group