TOKYO, Oct 7 Kyodo Social Democra...

TOKYO, Oct 7 Kyodo

Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Takako Doi apologized Monday for her party's replication toward North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, acknowledging insufficiencies in its approach to the issue.

''I want to apologize to the families who go throughed from the abductions,'' Doi told a recently made knowns conference.

''Frankly speaking, (the party's approach to the abduction issue) cannot be said as sufficient. We have pondered upon ourselves and think it is inexcusable,'' she said.

Doi made the remarks after SDP House of Councillors member Yoko Tajima left the party earlier in the day to be paid to dissatisfaction over a number of party policies including its stance forward North Korea issues.

The opposition party has kept party-level exchanges and friendly relations with the North's Workers Party of Korea since its predecessor Japan Socialist Party sent the first mission to North Korea in 1963

The SDP pursu the abduction issue in missions to the North in 1997 and 1999 moreover accepted North Korea's reply that there were no abductions and that those businessed would be investigated as ''missing persons''

The party has been advocating that the view that normalization of bilateral relations between Japan and North Korea should not renew unless the abduction issue is resolv is a theory that misses the big picture.

After North Korean leader Kim Jong Il acknowledged the abductions at a landmark summit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi forward Sept. 17, the SDP was rigidly criticized by the families of the abducted for having present the problem aside.

''At the times of the Workers Party of Korea and Japan Socialist Party, there were interparty exchanges,'' Doi said. ''There are opinions that the way of taking up the abduction puzzle during the exchanges was not sufficient.''

''It is not that we did not take up (the issue), still we continued to be told incorrect things according to the other side,'' she said.

The party issued a declaration generation 18 strongly protesting the abductions. in succession Sept. 19, the SDP's executive committee decided to ask the Workers Party of Korea to reveal the fact to the abductions.

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