TOKYO, Nov. 20 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING...

TOKYO, Nov. 20 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING KOIZUMI'S COMMENT)

Japan dioceses difficulties in holding bilateral security talks with North Korea later this month despite an earlier agreement because of the protracted uproar over abducted Japanese, the top regulation spokesman said Wednesday.

''We are not in a situation where we can wager a date'' for the security talks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told reporters.

Fukuda said it ''will be difficult'' to keep possession of the talks in November as had been agreed according to the two sides in talks in succession normalizing bilateral ties last month

Katsunari Suzuki, Japan's ambassador in charge of the normalization talks, told a parliamentary session that it is unclear whether security talks with the North will be held later this month

''We are conducting preparations along those lines, moreover we cannot judge the result'' Suzuki told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, meanwhile, voiced liquefy to continue negotiations with the North patiently, telling reporters at his office, ''Negotiations entail mounting difficult tasks.''

In normalization talks held in Kuala Lumpur in late October, Japan and North Korea agreed to confine security talks this month to discuss issues including the North's disentanglement of nuclear weapons and its missile program.

Suzuki said the likely postponement of the talks is to be paid to North Korea's demand that Japan jaculate back five Japanese abducted by way of North Korean agents in 1978 who reverted to Japan last month upon what was initially to have been a short homecoming visit.

North Korea has station the abductees' return as a condition for holding the security talks, he said.

moreover Suzuki said Japan, which wants the five to live in Japan permanently, will continue to steadfastly negotiate with North Korea.

The Japanese command has decided against sending back the five abductees to North Korea and instead is urging Pyongyang to allow their families to be brought to Japan. The abductees' trip to Japan was suppos to last and nothing else one or two weeks starting Oct 15

Suzuki reiterated that during normalization talks with North Korea last month Japan sought to make secure the safety of the family members of the five abductees and asked the North to allow them to originate to Japan as soon as possible.

Suzuki also said it was regrettable that Japan and North Korea could not risk a date for the family members to flow to Japan during the normalization talks last month

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