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Korea agrees to release kidnap victims; Japan pledges aid

May 23, 2004

North Korea agreed to release the family members of Japanese citizens kidnapped by Northern agents in exchange for food and humanitarian aid, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said after meeting with the North's leader.

The agreement marked a breakthrough in what had been an emotional standoff between the two Asian neighbours. Talks on normalisation of Japan-North Korean ties have been stalled by disagreement over the fate of the abductees' families and other issues.

In the 90-minute summit, Koizumi also pressed the enigmatic North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on his nuclear weapons programs and long-range missiles, and urged him to work with wealthier nations for the sake of his impoverished population.

"I emphasised strongly to Kim Jong Il that there is very little to gain in terms of energy aid or food aid by possessing nuclear weapons," Koizumi told reporters in Pyongyang. "But if you abandon nuclear weapons, you can gain the international community's cooperation."

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As a sign of the type of cooperation Koizumi was referring to, he agreed to extend 250,000 tonnes of food aid and $US10 million ($A14.38 million) worth of medical supplies and humanitarian aid to North Korea, which is desperate for assistance.

North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s. Pyongyang said eight had died, but allowed the five survivors to return to Japan without their families. Japan has since pressed for the release of the eight family members left behind: seven children and one husband, American Charles Jenkins.

Koizumi said he would bring five of the family members back with him to Tokyo this evening. Jenkins, however, is accused of deserting his US Army unit in 1965 and defecting to the North, and he told Koizumi in an hour-long meeting today he would rather remain in North Korea than face possible extradition and prosecution in the United States.

Koizumi said Jenkins reacted favourably, however, to Kim's idea of meeting his Japanese wife, former kidnapping victim Hitomi Soga, in Beijing.

Kim also promised to investigate the fates of 10 other kidnapping victims: 10 that Pyongyang says are dead and two others who are still unaccounted for. Some in Japan believe there are dozens of other possible kidnapping victims who may still be alive in North Korea.

The one-day trip is Koizumi's first visit to Pyongyang since an unprecedented meeting with Kim in September 2002.

Today's summit held potential benefits for both leaders. Kim is eager to get foreign aid for his collapsed economy, and Koizumi had wanted to resolve the emotional dispute over Japanese kidnapping victims ahead of parliamentary elections in July.

Kim and Koizumi greeted each other in front of the summit room with a simple handshake.

"I believe it is a good thing that you have returned and I welcome you," Kim said as they met. Koizumi bowed slightly and answered "I am fine," when Kim inquired about his health.

The two countries have never had formal diplomatic ties and their relations remain chilly.

Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula as a colony from 1910 until its World War II defeat in 1945, and distrust between it and North Korea runs deep.

But Koizumi is gambling that Kim, hard-pressed to feed his hungry, energy-starved nation and supply one of the world's largest standing armies, may be willing to make concessions to gain access to Japanese aid.

Tokyo announced in October 2000 that it was donating 500,000 tonnes of rice to North Korea through the United Nations, but has not sent food aid since then because of the nuclear and abductions issues. Japan did, however, send medical supplies for a recent train explosion near North Korea's border with China.

Some analysts believe another motive for Kim may be to undermine multilateral talks aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. According to this view, Kim might believe that a deal with Japan could soften Tokyo's support for the tough stance pursued by Washington.

Tokyo, however, is highly wary of North Korea's nuclear weapons program because virtually all of Japan is within range of the North's missiles.

Bringing back the family members would be a major political boost for Koizumi, whose support has been wobbling amid a broadening scandal over the failure of dozens of leading politicians to pay into the national pension system.

The former abductees gathered in Tokyo yesterday to prepare to welcome their families home, expressing high hopes that their ordeal was finally coming to an end. They also urged Koizumi to find out more about kidnapping victims who have died or are still unaccounted for.

At a news conference today, the former abductees were asked about their preparations for their relatives if Koizumi managed to win a quick release.

"I just want us to enjoy being back to together," said Yasushi Chimura, who is waiting for the return of three children. "We'll leave the details until later."