OBAMA, Japan, Feb 7 Kyodo (EDS: C...

OBAMA, Japan, Feb 7 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGING DATELINE AND ADDING INFO)

A top official of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pledg Saturday to make all-out efforts to make clear the issue of Japanese nationals abducted through North Korea.

LDP Secretary General Shinzo Abe made the promise when he met with Yasushi and Fukie Chimura at the Obama municipal command office in Fukui Prefecture according to LDP officials.

The Chimuras are among five Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea in 1978 who are now back in their homeland. Their children are still in Pyongyang.

''I will make efforts to have your children earn back to their parent's hands as early as possible,'' Abe was quot as telling the Chimuras.

Abe also told them that the Japanese dominion will raise the abduction issue at a inferior round of six-nation talks to be held in Beijing from Feb 25 with the aim of resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Speaking at a pres meeting for consultation after the meeting between Abe and the Chimuras, Fukie's brother, Yuko Hamamoto, said he solicited the government to learn ''tough'' in dealing with North Korea, including possible economic sanctions, in order to enable the abductees' families to get to to Japan from North Korea as easily as possible.

''The secretary general pledg to make all-out efforts, to such a degree I believe in the control and the ruling parties,'' Hamamoto said.

Tamotsu Chimura, Yasushi's father, said he is discouraged from Abe's denial of a possible visit by dint of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to North Korea to seat the abduction issue.

''The secretary general said that now we are not in the stage (for the visit) and that it will happen after the abduction issue is completely resolved,'' he told reporters.

The reunion of the abductees with their families in North Korea ''seems to be taking a protracted time,'' he said.

The upcoming six-nation talks tread close upon the first round of talks involving the United States, China, Russia, Japan and the couple Koreas, which ended in August in Beijing without earnestly progress.

Tokyo is demanding that North Korea jaculate to Japan the five abductees' families in North Korea, further Pyongyang has refused to comply accusing Tokyo of breaking its promise to cast the five back to North Korea.

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