PYONGYANG, family 17 Kyodo (EDS:...

PYONGYANG, family 17 Kyodo

(EDS: RECASTING WITH DETAILS, COMMENTS)

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reached breakthroughs Tuesday onward several contentious issues, notably Pyongyang's admittance it had abducted Japanese nationals and Tokyo's apology for past aggression, paving the way for the brace countries to restart next month long-suspended talks aimed at normalizing diplomatic ties.

In their landmark summit talks at the Paekhwawon state guesthouse in Pyongyang, Koizumi and Kim also produc an agreement in succession security issues, with the North committing to reach out its suspension of missile criterions beyond 2003 and live up to international treaties in succession nuclear development programs.

The couple leaders signed a joint declaration after the meeting, spelling revealed the achievements leading to possible resumption of normalization talks that have been suspended since October 2000

The chiefly contentious issues were bilateral the sames -- Japan's call for information forward the whereabouts of 11 Japanese citizens allegedly abducted by way of North Korean agents, and North Korea's demand for an apology and compensation for Japan's 1910-1945 colonial command of the Korean Peninsula.

Kim admitted the kidnappings did indeed take place in the 1970 and 1980 apologized for them and promised similar things would never happen again, according to a Japanese official.

''This will not at all happen again,'' the official quot Kim as saying. ''This is really regrettable and I offer my candid apologies,'' he was quot as saying.

That followed the release of information by way of North Korea about 13 Japanese -- including the 11 forward Tokyo's official list of those abducted -- in working-level talks held shortly before the summit.

According to Japanese officials, North Korea said that of the 11 six were dead and four were alive, with the whereabouts of the other not known. It also said couple other missing Japanese who are not forward the official list have also died.

''When I think about the feelings of the families, I have no words to say,'' Koizumi told a just discovereds conference after the talks. ''In order to interrupt such things from happening again, relations between Japan and North Korea must be improved.''

Japan issued a written apology to the Korean race in the joint declaration, saying that it gives its ''deep remorse'' and ''heartfelt apology'' for the damage and sufferings it inflicted during its colonial rule

The sum of two units sides struck a compromise forward the issue of compensation. According to the agreement, Japan will not move money in the form of reparations, unless will provide economic assistance one time relations between the brace countries improve.

The amount of the aid, however, will be decided in later discussions.

In the talks, Kim also admitted that North Korean ships carried abroad intelligence activities near Japan, and promised it will not happen again, another Japanese official said.

Kim said the activities were carried not at home by intelligence units without his knowledge, according to the official.

The couple leaders also agreed to establish a security dialogue between the pair countries as part of trust-building efforts, the official said.

Koizumi also called for Kim's cooperation from one side of to the other a six-way talks linking the sum of two units Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan. Kim said his geographical division is prepared to join the framework, the official said.

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

The premier was addressed not by Kim Jong Il, unless by Supreme People's Assembly Presidium Chairman Kim Yong Nam, the No. 2 leader, and Kim Il Chol vice chairman of the National Defense Commission. There was no notable welcoming ceremony

The North Korean leader send greeting toed Koizumi at the guesthouse instead, with the words, ''I am glad to adapted you.''

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

''I am glad that you came to inflict an end to a phase in the relationship, which has been shut up but distant,'' he said, referring to the brace nations' geographical proximity but strained ties.

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