Don't forget S.Korea abductees in North, kin say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The families of South Koreans abducted by North Korea said on Thursday the six-party talks on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program must not overlook hundreds of people languishing in the North.

Nearly 500 South Koreans were seized by the North in the years following the 1950-53 Korean War, say family members. They accuse the South Korean government of ignoring their plight to smooth relations with communist North Korea.

"If you want to resolve the North Korean nuclear problems and gain true peace, please make up for the past failure and give good news to the victims' families," said Lee Mi-il, president of the Korean War Abductees Research Institute and the Korean War Abductees Family Union.

Lee, whose father was taken by the North during the Korean War, told a news conference in Washington she wanted the issue raised in nuclear talks among the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

"We hope that the North Korean government acknowledges the abductions and apologizes for it with honesty," Lee said.

The six countries are to hold several sets of working-level talks in August and more senior meetings in September could clear the way for implementation of a deal in which the North scraps its nuclear program in exchange for energy and normal diplomatic relations with the United States and Japan.

Lee and fellow abductee families want South Korea to emulate the stance of Japan, which also had nationals kidnapped by North Korea. Tokyo has insisted it will not establish diplomatic ties with North Korea until the abduction issue is resolved.

Five of the at least 13 Japan citizens that were kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s to train North Korean spies to pose as Japanese were repatriated to Japan.

"The main difference between the South Korean government and the Japanese government really stems from the fact that the Japanese government has much more self-confidence when it comes to dealing with North Korea," said Kim Mi-young, director of the Korean War Abductees Family Union.

Lee said she met on Wednesday with a U.S. State Department official and came away hopeful that the United States will work to raise human rights concerns in talks with North Korea.