Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) made no progress on the abduction issue at the six-party talks in Beijing, Kyodo News reported Thursday.

In conversations on the sidelines of the three-day talks to end Friday, Japan urged the DPRK to send the family members of the five Japanese abductees to Japan, Kyodo quoted Japanese officials attending the talks as saying.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said the DPRK accused Japan of breaking its promise to send back the five people to the DPRK after a temporary homecoming last October, according to Kyodo.

Japanese delegation members also demanded that Pyongyang provide information of other abducted Japanese, Fukuda was quoted by Kyodo News as saying.

The DPRK admitted at a summit meeting last September that it had abducted 13 Japanese from late 1970s to early 1980s.

The DPRK said eight of them had died, a claim that Japan doubts, and let the remaining return to Japan for a visit last October while keeping back their family members. The five remained in Japan after the visit.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2003)