Talks between Japan and North Korea ended in rancor yesterday with both sides as far apart as ever over abductions of Japanese citizens and no agreement on when Pyongyang might return to six-way talks on its nuclear program. But both countries agreed to keep talking and try to hold another round at an early date, Kyodo news agency cited Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador to the discussions, as saying.

The talks to normalize bilateral diplomatic relations hinge on the abductions and Tokyo is also keen to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table over its nuclear program. North Korea has admitted kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to help train spies and says eight of the 13 are dead, but Japan wants more information about the eight and another three it says were abducted.

Tokyo said there had been no progress on the issue. ?The other side has not responded to any of our requests regarding the abduction issue, so it is highly regrettable?, Japan's top government spokesman Shinzo Abe told a news conference in Tokyo.

Asked whether Japan would increase pressure on North Korea as a result, Abe said Tokyo would not close the door on dialogue but added that talks must produce results. ?Our objective is not to merely hold talks. We want to seek a solution to the abduction issue through them.?

But Abe criticized Pyongyang's demand to hand over Japanese members of non-governmental groups helping defectors leave the impoverished North. ?Their demand is outrageous. Making such a demand in itself would result in international criticism over North Korea's human rights policy?, he said.

North Korea has said more than once it cannot return to the six-party nuclear talks, which group the two Koreas, Japan, Russia, the United States and host China, unless the United States drops sanctions.

The United States in recent months has cracked down on firms suspected of involving in counterfeiting, money laundering and drug trafficking by North Korea. Pyongyang is believed to earn as much as $1 billion annually from these activities, which US officials say benefit the elite at the expense of the population.

South Korea's foreign minister said he regretted that the North was making an issue of the US crackdown. ?We feel it's very regrettable and disappointing that issues outside the six-party talks have created a hurdle to resuming the talks?, Ban Ki-moon told a news briefing in Seoul.

?We hope that the North will return to the talks at an early date, and we have passed on that position to the North though different channels.?

<B>Ben BLANCHARD</B>