North Korea admits kidnapping Japanese

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il today admitted that spies from his country kidnapped Japanese citizens decades ago, and said at least four are still alive.

In a stunning concession at a landmark summit with Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi, Kim said about a dozen Japanese were kidnapped.

He said it was “regrettable and would never happen again,” adding that those responsible would be punished.

Kim’s comments opened the way for Japan and North Korea to begin long-stalled talks toward establishing diplomatic ties. Kim and Koizumi announced in a joint statement the talks would resume in October.

“This happened over decades of hostile relations and I want to talk about it frankly,” Kim was quoted as telling Koizumi by a Japanese official.

“I want to apologise and it will never be allowed to happen again.”

Six of the 11 Tokyo has long claimed were abducted were confirmed to be dead, while one never entered the country.

North Korea also admitted that two others who disappeared in Europe had also died.

Although one of the victims, Megumi Yokota - who disappeared when she was 13 - had died, her daughter was confirmed to still be alive in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, the official said.

Kim acknowledged that in the past some misguided people in his country had carried out the kidnappings to learn the Japanese language and assume their identities, the official said.

“I am getting a big shock. When I think of the families’ feelings, the pain is unbearable,” Koizumi was quoted as telling Kim. Koizumi is due to give a news conference later today.

How the people had died was not immediately clear. Japan demanded a thorough investigation of the deaths.

Japan and North Korea have never had diplomatic relations, and normalisation talks fell apart two years ago over the kidnapping issue.

The two nations had been so far apart on so many issues that many Japanese were stunned when they heard Koizumi had decided to visit North Korea - the first Japanese prime minister to do so.