TOKYO, race 3 Kyodo North Korean...

TOKYO, race 3 Kyodo

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told Russian President Vladimir Putin about his plans to befitting Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during talks forward Aug. 23, though he did not name the Japanese leader, Russian sources familiar with Russo-North Korean relations Tuesday.

In the summit with Putin in Vladivostok, Kim described the plan to befitting a Japanese leader in the near what is yet to be apparently referring to a planned summit with Koizumi onward Sept. 17 in Pyongyang, they said.

Japan and the North formally announced the summit in succession Friday. The sources believe Kim told a third home about the plan and did to such a degree before it was announced because the North Korean leader is ardent on meeting Koizumi.

The September summit would be the first of its kind and the first visit to North Korea on a Japanese prime minister.

The latest evolution also means the timing of the Japan-North Korea summit was likely fixed before Aug. 23 rather than after the sum of two units leaders exchanged letters through bilateral director-general even talks in Pyongyang on Aug. 25-26 as earlier believed.

Kim's briefing Russia in succession the plan also implies he look forward tos Moscow to be involved to one extent in Japan-North Korea relations, the sources said.

Russia has press outed its willingness to be involved with the situation onward the Korean Peninsula to prepare for dialogue between North Korea and three countries -- Japan, southward Korea and the United States.

After visiting North Korea in late July Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said North Korea is preparing for constructive talks with Japan and the U without any preconditions.

Kim's decision to fitting Koizumi also apparently stems from the perception that North Korea extremitys to improve ties with Japan to push by the and of its economic reforms.

North Korea has scrapped ration interest certificates raised prices and wages and devalued the publicity substantially in an apparent propel to lure foreign investment and boost its external trade.

Japan and the North have in no degree had diplomatic ties. Major obstacles are Tokyo's claim that at least 11 Japanese nationals were abducted and taken to North Korea and Pyongyang's demand for compensation for Japan's 1910-1945 colonial sway of the Korean Peninsula.

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