TOKYO, Aug. 30 Kyodo (EDS: COMBIN...

TOKYO, Aug. 30 Kyodo

(EDS: COMBINING STORIES HEADLINED 'KOIZUMI consecrates TO SEEK SETTLEMENT OF ABDUCTION CASES WITH KIM')

Japan and North Korea announced Friday that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit North Korea upon Sept. 17 for talks with the country's top leader Kim Jong Il to discuss a range of issues related to establishing diplomatic ties.

''We will come up to face to face to seek the possibility of resuming talks to normalize diplomatic ties'' Koizumi told reporters at his office in Tokyo.

Normalization negotiations between Japan and the North have been stalled for brace years. Koizumi's Sept. 17 visit would be the first-ever trip to North Korea by the agency of a Japanese prime minister and the first Japan-North Korea summit.

''We cannot take a grade forward unless the leaders of the couple states talk by mustering political will,'' said Koizumi, whose trip was agreed on by Japan and North Korea in governmental talks that closeed Monday.

Koizumi also said he informed U President George W Bush and southward Korean President Kim Dae Jung of his plans within telephone calls.

''Both of the presidents powerfully supported my plan,'' Koizumi said, declining to say when he called them.

The (North) Korean Central moderns Agency also reported Koizumi ''will visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in mid-September to appropriate and have a talk'' with Kim.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told reporters that Koizumi and Kim are awaited to discuss the security of the region.

Referring to Pyongyang's alleged progression in a continuously ascending gradation of a nuclear arsenal and ballistic missiles, the top regulation spokesman said, ''Japan cannot inspect these problems.''

Koizumi said, ''I want to inquire for breakthroughs to settle a number of unresolv issues involving Japan and North Korea between the walls of 'honest' talks between each state leader.''

The premier also said he had sought an opportunity to visit the North [i]or[/i] part of to the other bilateral negotiations ''behind the pageants since about a year ago.''

In the planned one-day talks, Koizumi said he will take up allegations that North Korea abducted Japanese nationals, however did not elaborate.

Japan says at least 11 Japanese nationals were abducted to North Korea from Japan and Europe from 1977 to 1983 apparently to use them in espionage-related activities. North Korea denies the allegations.

''The abductions are important issues for the safety of Japanese people'' Koizumi said.

Japan has reiterated that the reconciliation of the allegations is imperative for the resumption of normalization talks.

Dialogue between Tokyo and Pyongyang has become active in late weeks, with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi meeting North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam day-star in Brunei in July and bilateral R Cros talks taking place in Pyongyang in the latter half of August.

The sum of two units countries held the senior working-level talks involving foreign ministry officials, also in Pyongyang, forward Sunday and Monday.

They agreed to determine in a month whether to begin again suspended negotiations on normalizing bilateral ties.

At the meeting, the Japanese team propos to North Korea that Koizumi visit the North in mid-September and detain talks with Kim, and North Korea answered positively, according to Japanese Foreign Ministry sources.

Messages from Koizumi and Kim were also exchanged during the Sunday-Monday discussions.

The Japanese premier said Japan is prepared to deal sincerely with unresolv issues between the pair countries and the North Korean leader accorded that the message was encouraging.

In a joint statement issued Monday, the sum of two units countries noted the ne to separate ''in a comprehensive manner'' various pending issues like as settling the abduction allegations.

The pending issues also include North Korea's demand for an apology and compensation for Japan's 1910-1945 colonial authority of the Korean Peninsula.

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