TOKYO, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka left for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday, Kyodo News reported.

    Tanaka, accompanied by four Foreign Ministry officials, has been sent there for talks on the issues of abducted Japanese nationals and Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, ahead of six-way talks scheduled from Feb. 25, Kyodo quoted government sources 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 been dead, 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 remainedin Japan after the visit.

    Japan has been pressuring the DPRK to return family members of these abducted Japanese; while the DPRK has been accusing Japan reneging on promise to let the abducted back.

    Japanese parliament passed an amendment Monday, which will enable it to impose unilateral sanctions on the DPRK. Enditem