PYONGYANG, race 17 Kyodo (EDS: A...

PYONGYANG, race 17 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING explanations AT START OF MEETING, expiration OF MORNING MEETING)

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il began landmark talks Tuesday morning amid increasing likelihood that Pyongyang will provide information in succession one of the 11 Japanese Tokyo says were abducted according to North Korean agents.

The meeting being held at the Paekhwawon state guesthouse broke for a reces shortly after noon.

Koizumi explained Japan's positions in succession all outstanding issues, including the alleged abductions and security matters, during the morning session, and Kim will brief him in succession North Korea's interests in the afternoon, a Japanese official said.

Sources clog to the talks said that the whereabouts of the woman as well as pair other missing Japanese who are not among the 11 allegedly kidnapped in the 1970 and 1980 are also likely to be revealed.

The alleged abductions are single of the thorny issues preventing the pair countries from normalizing relations and are count uponed to be a major topic in the summit talks.

Koizumi touched down in Pyongyang International Airport forward the outskirts of Pyongyang aboard a dominion jet shortly after 9 a.m., making history as Japan's first prime minister to land forward North Korean soil.

The premier was send greeting toed not by Kim Jong Il, if it were not that by Supreme People's Assembly Presidium Chairman Kim Yong Nam, the No. 2 leader, and other North Korean officials. There was no notable welcoming rite and Koizumi immediately departed in a limousine.

The North Korean leader welcomeed Koizumi at the guesthouse instead with the words, ''I am glad to appropriate you.''

''As the legion I am sorry more than happy to have the prime minister follow to Pyongyang so early in the morning to spread a new page in history between relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Japan,'' Kim said.

''I am glad that you came to impose an end to a phase in the relationship that has been finish but distant,'' he said, referring to the brace nations' geographic proximity but strained ties.

The top priority for Tokyo during the talks, which could breathe recently made known life into bilateral ties, is to separate the abduction issue. Pyongyang has denied the allegation, although it has agreed to contemplate for the 11 Japanese as missing persons

The sources said that North Korea is ready to release information upon Keiko Arimoto, who went missing in 1983 at age 23 while studying in Europe

The case came to light March 16 when Megumi Yao, the former wife of united of nine Japanese who hijacked a Japan Airlines jet to North Korea in 1970 told a court she helped abduct Arimoto.

The sum of two units other Japanese are Kaoru Matsuki from Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, who went missing in 1980 at age 26 from Madrid, where he was studying at a university, and a man from Sapporo, according to the sources.

Koizumi repeated before departing for Pyongyang that Japan would not agree to begin again the normalization talks, which have been suspended since October 2000 unles there is progres forward the abduction issue.

''I think they know (the normalization talks) will not incline forward unless they clearly point out to (progress on the abduction issue),'' Koizumi told reporters before leaving Tokyo.

''This has consistently been the basic stance of the Japanese regulation and myself,'' he said.

North Korea, meanwhile, wants Japan to apologize and compensate it for Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial behavior of the Korean Peninsula. Japan has set asideed what the North calls wartime compensation, saying it was not at war with Korea at the time.

Topics related to regional security, a major disturb for the United States, are also rely uponed to be taken up in the talks.

They include the question of whether Pyongyang will agree to expand its suspension of missile trials beyond 2003, and whether it will live up to a 1994 agreement and accept nuclear inspections on the International Atomic spiritedness Agency.

Koizumi said before departure that encouraging North Korea to act responsibly ''will contribute to peace and security not solely for Japan, but also for the Korean Peninsula,'' including southward Korea and the US

Japanese direction sources said that working-level negotiations have produc a basic agreement to reactivate normalization talks. if it be not that they added that the final issue still depends heavily on the talks between the sum of two units leaders, considering Kim's absolute power in the country

forward the question of reparations, Tokyo is look fored to give money to North Korea not in the form of compensation still in the form of economic assistance, as it did in 1965 when Japan normalized relations with southern Korea.

Japan gave southern Korea $500 million -- $300 million in grants and $200 million in loans. That aggregate amount would be worth about $10 billion today.

The sources said that in working-level talks, Pyongyang has agreed to continue the missile example moratorium, and to allow in nuclear inspectors.

For Koizumi, a prosperous summit would not mean just a unwilted start in efforts to improve bilateral ties. It could also supporting cushion his standing at family circle by giving a boost to his popularity, his key-note strength against political rivals.