SEOUL Oct 30 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING I...

SEOUL Oct 30 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING INFO)

North Korea accused Japan onward Wednesday of breaking a promise to forward five Japanese abductees back to North Korea after their visits to Japan, Pyongyang's official Korean Central just discovereds Agency (KCNA) reported.

KCNA carried a statement through a spokesman for North Korea's R Cros Society that Tokyo's breaching of the agreement put to a stands a ''serious obstacle'' to Pyongyang's ability to cooperate with Japan's beseechs in ongoing talks to normalize relations in Kuala Lumpur

''We cannot if it be not that doubt whether Japan truly wishes for cooperation'' from North Korea ''or peacefulness content with bringing just five survivors to Japan,'' the statement said.

In the Japan-North Korea normalization talks resum Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur after a two-year hiatus, Japan demanded setting a date for visits to Japan according to the abductees' relatives in North Korea.

North Korea also accused Japan of barring North Korean R Cros officials who accompanied the abductees to Japan from calling them for pair weeks.

The five abductees arrived in Japan forward Oct. 15 on their first homecoming visit since being abducted to North Korea in 1978

The sum of two units countries had agreed the five will get back to North Korea after about pair weeks. But at the entreaty of the abductees' relatives in Japan, Tokyo later announced it will increase the stay.

The statement noted the abductees had been scheduled to stay in Japan for 10 days at their request

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo of the present days International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group