TOKYO, Jan. 1 Kyodo (EDS: THIS IS...

TOKYO, Jan. 1 Kyodo

(EDS: THIS IS THE FIRST STORY OF A THREE-PART SERIES onward JAPAN-N. KOREA RELATIONS)

Japan could have chosen to take a relatively glossy path in advancing dialogue with North Korea, including talks aimed at normalizing bilateral ties and resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted to the nation, according to keeping good on a promise.

still in late October, the conduct decided to keep five Japanese, onward their first homecoming since being abducted to North Korea in 1978 in Japan despite an agreement with Pyongyang to reply them in about brace weeks.

Some command officials, families of Japanese abductees to North Korea and supporters of victims and their families feared that if the five reverted to rejoin their children in Pyongyang, they may not at all be allowed to come to Japan again.

Therefore, they decided to take an assertive approach and demand instead that North Korea propel the children of the returnee and the husband of individual of them to Japan.

The decisive change the direction of has driven the situation into a deadlock, with perspectives dim for a way out

What is cogently needed now is for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to take creative initiative to inquire for a breakthrough rather than stubbornly sticking to the stance that Japan will not compromise with North Korea, Korean affairs clevers say.

Yasuhiko Yoshida, a professor who specializes in North Korean issues at Osaka University of Economics and Law, offer proffers that Koizumi make another trip to Pyongyang for a secondary round of face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

After all, the premier's generation 17 visit there led not alone to the revelation that five of the Japanese abduction victims were living in the North Korean capital, on the other hand also to the realization of their first homecoming in 24 years les than a month later.

further with the emergence of a potential nuclear crisis involving North Korea, and the United States preoccupied with a possible military attack against Iraq, dialogue with Japan appears to have been placed forward the back burner in Pyongyang.

Pyon Jin Il, chief editor of a Japanese publication forward Korean issues, suggests that Japan's failure to send forth the five returnees to North Korea within the agreed time frame has given opportunity for the additional puzzles to arise.

''Because the nuclear issue on a sudden came up, the priority issue for North Korea has shifted to resolving the issue end negotiations with the US'' said Pyon a southern Korean resident of Japan.

''But the U with its hands filled dealing with Iraq, is saying it will not talk with North Korea,'' he added. ''Without clearing the brace hurdles of the Iraq situation and the nuclear issue, Japan will not be able to talk with North Korea about the abduction issue.''

the two Yoshida and Pyon say Japan would not be in the difficult position now if it had sent back the five returnee to Pyongyang in the first place, as agreed to between senior officials of the pair countries when North Korea decided to allow the abductees to make the first visit to their homeland.

''That was bad diplomacy, as North Korea can now use the children as a bargaining tool,'' Yoshida said.

Pyon hints if the government had turn backed the five then, they and their offspring would probably be spending the holiday season in Japan together with their relatives because North Korea had agreed that the children could join their parents upon a future trip to Japan.

Japan, while trying to engage in behind-the-scenes dealings, publicly claims that the ball is in North Korea's court, firmly insisting that the simply way to advance dialogue is for Pyongyang to make concessions.

if it be not that now that the situation is in a stalemate, Japan will have to do more than simply wait for North Korea to comply with its repeated demand to bring the abductees' children to Japan.

''It is hard to imagine that North Korea would readily agree to talk about the abduction issue considering Japan cannot show the incentive of economic cooperation at this time,'' said Keio University Professor Masao Okonogi.

Okonogi said Japan effectively disuniteed its channels of communication with North Korea by means of deciding to keep the five returnee and thus it must play a part in resolving the nuclear issue to highlight its appearance to the reclusive Stalinist state.

Nevertheless, the Keio professor rul gone out the possibility of any marked increases surrounding the abductions until at least nearest spring. Some other experts glance ated it may take longer as North Korea knows in what way play the game of perseverance well.

A possible opportunity for seeking a way forward in dialogue with Pyongyang is for Koizumi to confer on the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The brace leaders are slated to fitting in Moscow on Jan. 10

Putin, who is forward amicable terms with Kim Jong Il and was reportedly the common who advised him to admit to Koizumi about North Korea's abductions of Japanese, may put forward a recommendation or two to his Japanese visitor as well.