A senior Japanese diplomat met with the four Japanese during a break between talks Tuesday and confirmed their desire to return home and meet with their parents.
The official also met the same day with the daughter of Megumi Yokota, one of the abductees confirmed dead by Pyongyang. The teenager was unwilling to come to Japan, according to the sources.
They said Japan intends to demand the North thoroughly investigate the deaths of the eight abductees, either during the upcoming negotiations or through the Red Cross societies of the two countries.
The sources said the North's Red Cross society has expressed willingness to inform the families of the victims of how and when they died.
On Wednesday morning, Koizumi attended a meeting of senior officials from the ruling coalition bloc to brief them on his talks with Kim and with U.S. President George Bush in Washington last week, government officials said.
Officials of the ruling parties are expected to press the government to urge the North to look further into the abduction cases, return the survivors and stop developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and conducting sea-borne spy operations.
The officials are also expected to caution the government not to rush to provide food aid and other forms of aid to the North. (Kyodo News)
The official also met the same day with the daughter of Megumi Yokota, one of the abductees confirmed dead by Pyongyang. The teenager was unwilling to come to Japan, according to the sources.
They said Japan intends to demand the North thoroughly investigate the deaths of the eight abductees, either during the upcoming negotiations or through the Red Cross societies of the two countries.
The sources said the North's Red Cross society has expressed willingness to inform the families of the victims of how and when they died.
On Wednesday morning, Koizumi attended a meeting of senior officials from the ruling coalition bloc to brief them on his talks with Kim and with U.S. President George Bush in Washington last week, government officials said.
Officials of the ruling parties are expected to press the government to urge the North to look further into the abduction cases, return the survivors and stop developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and conducting sea-borne spy operations.
The officials are also expected to caution the government not to rush to provide food aid and other forms of aid to the North. (Kyodo News)