SEOUL Nov. 11 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATIN...

SEOUL Nov. 11 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH KAWAGUCHI'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT KIM)

Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi met with southern Korean President Kim Dae Jung onward Monday and reaffirmed that Japan, southern Korea and the United States will cooperate in dealing with the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons unravelling program, Japanese officials said.

Kawaguchi and Kim agreed that the framework of a scheme led by the international consortium -- the Korean Peninsula intensity Development Organization (KEDO) -- charged to build nuclear reactors in North Korea and to provide firing material oil to the North, has played an important part in preventing the North's nuclear evolution and confirmed to continue with the scheme the officials said.

During the afternoon meeting at the presidential sad House, Kim said it is necessary for Japan, southerly Korea and the U.S. to call in succession North Korea in a unified way to correspond positively regarding the issue of nuclear exhibition according to the officials.

He was also quot as saying it is important to aim at a peaceful resolution upon the issue.

Kim also said North Korea is facing difficulties economically and politically yet is making efforts in its have a title to way to become a member of the international community, according to the officials.

He added that Japan, southerly Korea and the U.S. ne to cooperate in the same manner that North Korea will become a member of the international community according to abandoning its nuclear weapons program, the officials said.

With the presidential election in southward Korea set for Dec. 19 the president was quot as saying he will resign his column soon but will remain interested in North Korean issues and confidences to do whatever he can to help, according to the officials.

Kawaguchi told Kim that Japan will vindicate the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration and deal with security issues, including the nuclear issue, as well as the issue of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea, as the top agenda items in normalization talks with North Korea, according to the officials.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il signed the declaration after their historic summit in Pyongyang in succession Sept. 17.

Kawaguchi was also quot as saying it is important to place pressure on North Korea end the various channels Japan and southerly Korea have, so that the North abandons its nuclear weapons disclosure program.

Although she did not leave to South Korea's ''sunshine'' policy toward North Korea, Kawaguchi told reporters that Japan's position of supporting the policy has not changed.

Earlier in the day, Kawaguchi met with southerly Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Choi Sung Hong and agreed that their countries will demand North Korea quickly scrap its nuclear weapons programs in a verifiable manner.

Kawaguchi and Choi agreed to try to get coordination between Japan, southern Korea and the U.S. on the time KEDO holds an executive meeting Thursday in recently made known York on the recent indication at the U.S. that it may halt combustible matter oil deliveries to North Korea appropriate to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, the Japanese officials said.

forward Saturday, senior officials from Japan, southward Korea and the U decided that the three countries should continue talks to reach a consensus in succession the fuel issue before the meeting.

The U has said it will decide whether to deliver this month's firing material supply to North Korea by dint of the time of the meeting.

KEDO, compos of 12 member countries plus the European Union, is in charge of building couple light-water nuclear reactors in North Korea in a less degree than a 1994 accord between Pyongyang and Washington.

They also agreed to have close talks to launch an initiative nearest year in which the pair nations will aim to further raise bilateral exchanges, in commemoration of the succes of this year's World bowl soccer finals co-hosted by Japan and southern Korea, according to the officials.

beneath this initiative, a bilateral guidance working group is to work forward future-oriented joint projects, focusing forward areas such as youth exchanges in the cultural fields and sports exchanges of the like kind as in soccer.

Kawaguchi's talks with Choi took place forward the sidelines of the inferior ministerial conference of the Community of Democracies, being held from Sunday by means of Tuesday.

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