TOKYO, Jan. 30 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING...

TOKYO, Jan. 30 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING ROH'S STANCE throughout YASUKUNI SHRINE DISPUTE, OTHER BACKGROUND INFO)

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Thursday he will suitable with South Korean President-elect Roh Moo Hyun in southerly Korea in late February to discuss North Korea and various bilateral issues.

The Koizumi-Roh meeting will likely take place around Roh's inauguration forward Feb. 25.

Also awaited to be high on the agenda will be discussions surrounding maintaining the dialogue-oriented alliance between the couple leaders and U.S. President George W Bush to erase growing disquiets about Pyongyang's alleged nuclear weapons disentanglement program.

''I'm looking forward to meeting recent President Roh Moo Hyun,'' Koizumi told reporters at his office, adding he will also attend the inauguration.

''We have many issues onward which to cooperate on the international stage. I sense of possible fulfilment they (the talks) will help boost friendly bilateral ties,'' Koizumi said.

Koizumi said it would be ''natural'' for them to discuss North Korea-related issues in their planned talks, adding, ''There is a consensus that Japan, southern Korea and the United States should work closely (together in dealing with the North).''

Roh has said he intends to chase the dialogue-oriented policy line toward rapprochement with the North that outgoing President Kim Dae Jung calls the ''sunshine policy.''

Koizumi and Roh are also awaited to discuss a long-standing quarrel over the Japanese premier's visits to controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead and also enshrines war criminals.

Koizumi paid homage at the shrine upon Jan. 14, following visits upon April 12, 2002, and Aug. 13 2001

southward Korea has shown anger above the Japanese premier's visits to the shrine.

southern Korea is among Japan's neighbors along with China where memories of Japanese military aggression before and during World War II are still new The Korean Peninsula was in subordination to colonial rule of Japan from 1910 to 1945

While voicing sorrow over Koizumi's latest visit to the shrine, Roh also reportedly told Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in their talks in Seoul after the shrine visit that he wanted to talk with Koizumi through the issue since it has grown to be a contentious topic between the pair countries.

Roh was quot through a Japanese official as telling Kawaguchi it is ''not good'' that bilateral ties are disuniteed every time the Japanese premier pays homage at the Tokyo shrine and subsequently the rank arises.

Koizumi said after his latest visit to the shrine that he did in the way that ''to cherish peace and wanted to proffer prayers with thought that we will none launch another war.''

upon Tuesday, the premier expressed willingness to revisit the Shinto shrine in Tokyo, despite hardy protests from China and southerly Korea.

''I am willing to visit Yasukuni Shrine each year,'' Koizumi said during a session of the House of Councillors set Committee.

Referring to the Class-A war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni, he said, ''It does not fit into Japanese sentiment if we do not forgive these the public even after death,'' seeking the understanding of the sum of two units neighboring countries.

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