Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is to call US President George W. Bush on Monday night to seek his cooperation for his upcoming visit to Pyongyang, Kyodo News reported Monday.

One of the topics is likely to be the treatment of Charles Robert Jenkins, an American listed as a deserter by the US military. His wife, a Japanese woman, was among the five Japanese who returned from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)to Japan for a home visit, Kyodo quoted government sources as saying.

In the summit meeting in September 2002, the DPRK admitted to abducting 13 Japanese nationals in late 1970s and early 1980s, andsaid that eight of them had died. The remaining five were later allowed to visit relatives in Japan and never returned with their family members left in the DPRK.

Koizumi is scheduled to make his second tour to Pyongyang on Saturday to discuss the abduction issue and other concerns.

Source: Xinhua