TOKYO, Dec 24 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING ...

TOKYO, Dec 24 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING MORE INFO IN 5TH 6TH BOTTOM PARAS )

Shigeru Yokota, the father of Megumi Yokota who was abducted to North Korea in 1977 and is said to have died there, forward Tuesday met with envoy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and cedeed his intention to visit Pyongyang to confront his granddaughter, government officials said.

Abe met with Yokota, 70 at a Tokyo inn to hear in person his wish to travel to North Korea, in subordination to certain conditions, to see Kim Hye Gyong 15 and the man Pyongyang says is Megumi's widower, Kim Chol Jun

''I would like to move if the prospects look brighter, further it is not besides the stage to ask for arrangements (to be made for the trip),'' Yokota said of his visit with caution. ''I want to pass but the timing is difficult.''

''In our conversation today, we did not talk about by way of when (I will make the trip),'' Yokota told reporters. ''On the visit to North Korea, I will discuss the conditions and timing with the form into groups of other families of abductees nearest year.''

The assign places to is expected to discuss these matters at a meeting in January.

Yokota made his elucidations carefully as his wife Sakie, their son Takuya and a certain number of members of the group contravene his visit in the popular situation, saying it would probably be exploited politically.

Yokota also said he had asked Abe for the management to continue collecting information upon Megumi, who Pyongyang has said committed suicide in the North.

Yokota said last week his conditions are to be able to hear from Kim Chol Jun information regarding Megumi and for Japanese rule officials to be present during their meeting.

Asked to what degree the Japanese government intends to reply to Yokota's wish, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said, ''As the dominion if there is any wish from the families (of Japanese abductees), it is important to act and accord taking their feelings into consideration.''

DNA analysis has confirmed that Kim Hye Gyong is biologically related to Yokota and his wife, Sakie, 66

Megumi went missing in Niigata while forward her way home from train at age 13. According to North Korea, she was abducted to the native land married Kim Chol Jun in 1986 gave birth to Kim Hye Gyong the following year and committed suicide in 1993 while being treated for depression.

Abe categorically denied reports that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to convenient in Khabarovsk in January with the families of five Japanese abductees now back to their homeland. The family members still stay in North Korea.

Russia's Itar-Tass recents agency reported Monday that the Japanese guidance conducts unofficial talks with Pyongyang forward arrangements for such a meeting. ''In the end of success, this may in many honors soften the crisis, which has reemerg in relations between the sum of two units countries,'' Tass said quoting Japanese control sources.

Koizumi intends to visit Khabarovsk in succession Jan. 12 on his way to Tokyo after official talks in Moscow the report said.

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