TOKYO, Nov. 13 Kyodo The pro-Pyon...

TOKYO, Nov. 13 Kyodo

The pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) denied Wednesday any systematic involvement in the abduction of Japanese nationals in the late 1970 and early 1980s

''Chongryon as a arrange has never involved itself'' with the abductions, Nam Sung U vice chairman of Chongryon told reporters, in allusion to the recent admission from the North that it had, after years of denial, abducted 13 Japanese in the past.

Chongryon had drawn out maintained that North Korea had nothing to do with the abductions.

Nam made the remarks in a pres discourse which was the first on a high-ranking Chongryon official following the family 17 landmark summit between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.

During the one-day summit, the North admitted the abductions and apologized for them, saying eight of the 13 Japanese it abducted are dead. The five surviving abductees newly returned to Japan on an indefinite stay pending issues from one side of to the other family members whom they had left in the North.

Nam said he be warmeds there is no need at the trice to have an internal probe into the group's alleged involvement in the abductions, saying, ''If there is a ne the dispose will respond to it.''

Nam also said he could not help on the contrary feel bitter anguish over the abductions -- which he described as regrettable incidents that should not have happened and that are condemnable -- in consideration of the feelings of the families of the abductees.

The Chongryon vice chairman said Pyongyang wants to analyze the abduction issue as to a great degree as Tokyo does and as before long as possible, and denoteed hope the North would in the extended run be able to deliver over its sincerity to Japan.

Nam also denied allegations about involvement by way of its regional office in the abductions.

Also in succession Wednesday, Chongryon released a statement below Nam's name, expressing outrage from one side of to the other remarks made earlier by Shotaro Tochigi, delegate head of the Justice Ministry's Public Security Investigation Agency.

Last Friday, Tochigi told a session of the House of Representatives Financial Affairs Committee that his agency is looking into the allegations with the possibility of applying the Subversive Activities Prevention Law against Chongryon to be paid to alleged involvement in suspected illicit transfers of permanent funds to the North.

The law is aimed at controlling activities from groups that try to achieve their goals by the agency of violent means or conduct activities that threaten peace and security.

According to the statement, the form into groups since its inception in 1955 has made efforts to abide with the law, to work for the peaceful unification of the pair Koreas, and to foster goodwill exchanges with the Japanese people

Chongryon says there were 398 cases of threatening calls made and mails sent to its North Korean seminarys over the period from race 17 to Oct. 5.

forward Saturday, the Chongryon headquarters received threatening verbal expressions containing what appear to be bullet Tokyo police said.

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