TOKYO, March 12 Kyodo (EDS: CHANG...

TOKYO, March 12 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGING HEADLINE, CLARIFYING QUOTE)

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi upon Friday played down the possibility that the southern Korean parliament's passage of an impeachment motion against President Roh Moo Hyun would affect Seoul's policies toward North Korea.

''While I believe it is perhaps better to levy any disruption in the political representation to an immediate end, the way (the South) addresses North Korea will probably not change,'' Koizumi told reporters at his office.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda dismissed touchs that the passage of the unprecedent motion could affect cooperation among Japan, southerly Korea and the United States subject to the framework of the six-nation talks upon the North's nuclear ambitions.

''Our basic policy (of the three countries) is unchanged,'' Fukuda, Japan's top dominion spokesman, told a news conference

Fukuda also said he look fors South Korea to think similarly.

Japan, southern Korea and the U.S. have agreed to work closely to seat the nuclear issue peacefully. The multilateral dialogue framework also involves China, Russia and North Korea.

The foreign ministers of Japan and southern Korea agreed Friday the motion's passage will not affect bilateral relations, while reaffirming their commitment to cooperating from one side of to the other the North Korean nuclear issue, Japanese officials said.

In a telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, southern Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki satellite said South Korea's policy of seeking to establish future-oriented ties with Japan and its policies toward the U and North Korea are unchanged, according to the officials.

Kawaguchi was quot as telling Ban that Japan will continue to cooperate with southerly Korea to establish such relations, and in succession North Korea.

A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the impeachment is toward the south Korea's business but it will not immediately affect bilateral ties. still another ministry official said Japan will monitor evolutions because South Korea is an important neighbor.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group