NORTH KOREA: North Korean leader Mr Kim Jong-il has offered concessions on security issues of global concern and a rare apology to Japanese Prime Minister Mr Junichiro Koizumi over abductions of Japanese citizens.
The admission of guilt and the apology were a major turn-around for the leader of the reclusive communist state, which had long denied any part in the missing persons' disappearance.
In developments that could lead to an easing of regional tensions and pave the way for dialogue with the United States, the two leaders also agreed at their historic summit to resume talks on establishing diplomatic relations.
Pyongyang promised in a joint statement to extend its moratorium on missile tests beyond the current January 2003 deadline and to talk to countries concerned about its nuclear power programme, which experts suspect is developing nuclear weapons.
In an unusual act of contrition, Mr Kim apologised for the abduction of Japanese citizens Tokyo had said were kidnapped by Pyongyang's agents, and promised to prevent similar acts.
"It is regretful and I want to frankly apologise," a Japanese government official quoted Mr Kim as saying, adding that the North Korean leader said he had punished those involved.
The apology, however, did little to ease the shock and pain of news that of 11 Japanese on an official list of those who were kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s, only four are still alive. While officially 11 people are on Tokyo's list of abductees, intelligence sources have said nearly 40 Japanese may have been kidnapped, apparently to help train North Korean spies.
Six are dead, and one is missing.
"When I think of the families' feelings, there is nothing I can say," Mr Koizumi told a news conference after meeting Mr Kim.
"My heart is filled with pain." But Mr Koizumi, who had put the kidnapping dispute at the top of his summit agenda, said resuming normalisation talks would help ease tensions in one of the world's hottest flashpoints.
"Progress in Japan-North Korean ties do not just benefit the two countries," he said.
"It affects peace on the Korean peninsula and all of North Eastern Asia. It also contributes greatly to peace and stability of South Korea, the United States, Russia, China, other neighbouring nations and the international community as a whole."
A 1994 US-North Korean deal froze the North's suspected nuclear weapons programme in exchange for two western-financed nuclear reactors and annual supplies of fuel oil. Under that agreement, Pyongyang undertook to allow in International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, but has yet to do so.
An agreement by Iraq on Monday to let in UN weapons inspectors with no conditions had put pressure on North Korea to make a similar move.
As expected, Mr Koizumi apologised for Japan's 1910-1945 harsh colonial rule of the Korean peninsula but rejected North Korea's long-standing demand for reparations.
Instead, the two agreed to discuss Japanese aid for Pyongyang later. Tokyo gave South Korea $500 million when they normalised ties in 1965. Analysts have said Tokyo could provide up to $10 billion to the economically crippled North. - (Reuters)