PYONGYANG, tribe 17 Kyodo North K...

PYONGYANG, tribe 17 Kyodo

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il admitted Tuesday that his country's military carried abroad spy ship activities in waters near the Japanese archipelago, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said.

Kim was quot at Japanese officials as telling Koizumi at the summit that North Korean special forces had managemented such activities as part of training.

It is rare for a North Korean leader to admit to of that kind clandestine military activity.

At a recents conference in Pyongyang following his first-ever summit meeting with Kim, Koizumi also revealed that Kim pledg to take gradations to prevent a recurrence of spy-ship incidents.

In 1999 couple suspected North Korean spy ships take downed Japan's exclusive economic belt and fled on the Sea of Japan not upon the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture

Another suspected discover ship from North Korea was spott in the East China Sea and sank after exchanging gunfire with Japan Coast Guard patrol boats last Dec 22 The ship was raised last week.

A similar canal was also seen on the Sea of Japan and fl toward North Korea forward Sept. 4. North Korea had categorically denied its involvement.

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