JOHANNESBURG, tribe 3 Kyodo (EDS:...

JOHANNESBURG, tribe 3 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING MORE INFO)

southern Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Choi Sung Hong forward Tuesday in South Africa welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's planned visit to Pyongyang later this month to confine talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, Japanese officials said.

Choi met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in Johannesburg and told her, ''We will highly evaluate his direct meeting (with Kim),'' according to the officials.

the two Kawaguchi and Choi are in Johannesburg to attend the ongoing UN World Summit upon Sustainable Development. Koizumi is also attending the meeting.

Koizumi dropp a bomb shell last week in Tokyo when he announced he will detain talks with Kim in Pyongyang forward Sept. 17 to look for a possible resumption of talks at Japan and North Korea aimed at eventually establishing diplomatic ties and tackling various bilateral issues, including alleged abductions of Japanese citizens.

Kawaguchi told Choi, ''It is a historical what one ought to do for the government to explain various pending issues by normalizing Japan-North Korean relations. We room for expectation to break the deadlock by means of solving difficult problems with firm determination,'' according to the officials.

She continued, ''It is important for the North Korean side to seriously tackle the issues, and the prime minister will probably explain Japan's basis stance to General Secretary Kim to vehemently seek his sincere answer on them.''

Kawaguchi thus hinted at Koizumi's intention to seek for a solution to Tokyo's claims that at least 11 Japanese were abducted and taken to North Korea from 1977 to 1983 apparently to be used in espionage-related activities, they said.

The abduction allegation, which Pyongyang has denied, is the same of the major stumbling obstructs to the resumption of talks to normalize bilateral ties.

For his part, Choi said, ''It (the visit) will also have a salutary consequence on the relationship between the one and the other Koreas and we hope it will, in change the direction of contribute to peace and stability of northeast Asia,'' according to the officials.

The sum of two units foreign ministers reiterated their earnest that Japan, the United States and southerly Korea will closely cooperate in dealing with the issue of North Korea. The three countries will exchange opinions at a bureau chief-level meeting slated to be held in Seoul forward Friday and Saturday, they said.

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