Japan says might need to get tough on Pyongyang

TOKYO, Mar 7 (Reuters) A top Japanese diplomat said today that Japan may have to take tough measures if North Korea fails to respond in good faith to efforts to normalise ties, but he stopped short of endorsing calls for sanctions now.

Japan and North Korea are locked in a bitter dispute over Pyongyang's kidnapping of Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to help train spies. The two sides held talks in Beijing last month on normalising diplomatic ties, but didn't make any progress.

''We didn't feel there was much good faith,'' Japanese Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasuhisa Shiozaki told Reuters, referring to the latest discussions about the abductees.

''Concerning other issues as well, there was virtually no progress, so we feel it was very unfortunate. It must be said that tension is rising in public opinion and within the (ruling) Liberal Democratic Party as well,'' he said in an interview.

Japan also wants Pyongyang to return to stalled six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to halt its nuclear arms programmes and address concerns about its missile programme.

Calls by LDP politicians and activists for economic sanctions have been rising in the wake of last month's talks.

''We aren't talking about sanctions from the start but if, as in the last talks, there are only insincere responses, Japanese public opinion will become difficult and the government will have to make a decision, based on what is effective,'' Shiozaki said.

Ministries have already been told to come up with a ''menu'' of steps to increase pressure on Pyongyang, he added.

Shiozaki reiterated that Japan would not normalise ties with North Korea unless the abduction issue was resolved.

''Our basic stance is that unless the abduction as well as security issues are resolved, we will not normalise ties. We clearly conveyed that stance and will maintain it,'' he said.

North Korea has admitted abducting 13 people, eight of whom it says are dead. Pyongyang has said the abductees issue is settled, but Tokyo wants more information about the eight and another three it says were also kidnapped.

Shiozaki's comments came after Japanese police, coast guard and immigration officials raided a North Korean freighter that media reports said had been involved in an illegal shipment of ingredients for sarin nerve gas to the North a decade ago.

Japanese coast guard officials said they were conducting ''regular inspections'' on the 2,705 tonne North Korean freighter in Tokyo Bay. But media reports said the North Korean cargo ship had carried ingredients for sarin nerve gas to North Korea from Japanese western cities of Osaka and Kobe 10 years ago.

REUTERS SY RN1532