"We emphasised that DPRK (North Korea) must effectively address the humanitarian concerns of the international community," they said in a statement after their annual summit.

Leaders of the 10-nation group backed six-party talks on North Korea and said the international community "must convey in clear terms to the DPRK that the latter must denuclearise in a verifiable manner."

The leaders reaffirmed support for UN sanctions imposed after the North's missile tests in July and its nuclear test on October 9.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, in comments at ASEAN's summit with South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, called for unanimity in urging the North to respond to humanitarian concerns, including the plight of abductees.

Japan has pushed North Korea to account for citizens who were abducted in the 1970s and 1980s to train the North's spies in language and customs.

South Korea says 485 of its citizens have been kidnapped since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Amid recent reports that North Korea is preparing for a possible second nuclear test, Arroyo expressed "great concern" at developments.

Analysts believe any repeat test depends on the outcome of the six-nation negotiations as well as of separate talks on lifting US financial sanctions.

At a six-party session in September 2005, the North agreed in principle to scrap its atomic programmes in exchange for economic and energy benefits and security guarantees.

But it boycotted the forum two months later in protest at the US financial sanctions, which were imposed for alleged money-laundering and counterfeiting.

The talks resumed in Beijing last month, but ended without apparent progress or a date to meet again.

The nuclear issue is set to be a major topic when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korea's Roh and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao meet on Sunday.

It will be the first three-way summit between the countries in two years.

earlier related report
East Asia presses NKorea on nukes, abductions
Cebu (AFP) Philippines, Jan 14 - Thirteen East Asian nations including ally China urged North Korea Sunday to scrap its nuclear programmes and address humanitarian concerns about the secretive country.

The calls came from the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and separately from China, Japan and South Korea, which held their first three-way summit for more than two years.

Japanese and South Korean officials said the humanitarian reference was to the communist North's refusal to account for citizens of their countries abducted in previous years.

"This is the first time China has raised the abductions issue," the Japanese official told reporters. He hailed the joint call from both Seoul and Beijing as a "huge step".

Concern is growing that North Korea may be planning a second nuclear test after its first one on October 9 sparked alarm worldwide and led to UN sanctions.

ASEAN leaders, in a statement Sunday after their summit the previous day, urged North Korea to "desist from conducting further nuclear tests", implement a denuclearisation deal it agreed in 2005 and rejoin the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"We emphasised that DPRK (North Korea) must effectively address the humanitarian concerns of the international community," they said.

The leaders expressed support for six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme and said the international community "must convey in clear terms to the DPRK that the latter must denuclearise in a verifiable manner."

They reaffirmed support for UN sanctions imposed after the North's missile tests in July and its October nuclear weapons test.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, in comments at ASEAN's summit with South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, specifically raised the plight of abductees.

Japan has repeatedly pushed North Korea to account for citizens who were abducted in the 1970s and 1980s to train the North's spies in language and customs.

South Korea says 485 of its people have been kidnapped since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun weighed in later in the day.

In a statement, they "emphasised the importance of addressing the issue of humanitarian concerns of the international community" and expressed concern about the situation caused by North Korea's weapons tests.

"It is significant that the leaders of the three countries made a common understanding on North Korea's humanitarian problem," the Japanese official said.

He said China and South Korea "not only showed understanding on the issue but also offered proactive cooperation at the level of leaders. This is a huge step."

The official said South Korea stressed during the meeting "that it has halted food aid to North Korea and attached emphasis on its hard line against North Korea."

He added: "In this sense, the talks generated great results."

The three leaders also reaffirmed the need for full implementation of UN Security Council sanctions resolutions and called for "concrete and effective steps" toward the denuclearisation that Pyongyang agreed to in 2005.

They are part of a six-nation forum trying to negotiate an end to the North's nuclear programmes, along with the United States, Russia and North Korea itself.

At a session in September 2005, the North agreed in principle to scrap its atomic programmes in exchange for economic and energy benefits and security guarantees.

But it boycotted the forum two months later in protest at US financial sanctions, which were imposed for alleged money-laundering and counterfeiting.

The talks resumed in Beijing last month, but ended without apparent progress or a date to meet again.

earlier related report
US NKorea envoy headed back to Asia but no signs of renewed six-party talks
Washington (AFP) Jan 12 - The top US envoy to nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea will return to the region late next week to meet key allies, but there are no indications a resumption of six-party negotiations with Pyongyang are imminent, a senior US official said Friday.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill will visit Seoul on January 19, then meet with Chinese officials in Beijing the following day and go to Tokyo on January 21, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

"The purpose of those talks, as you expect, will be to continue consultations with our key partners in the six-party talks on how we might achieve progress in the next round," he said.

But Casey declined to predict that Hill's trip could lead to a quick resumption of the multilateral talks, which involve China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States.

The six met for five days in December after a year-long break, but no progress was made toward dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

"I don't have any information for you on when the next round might take place," Casey said.

"Certainly we would like to see it take place as soon as possible, but only if there's sufficient preparation for it and reasons to believe that we will make progress," he said.

Casey said there were no plans for Hill to hold informal talks with North Korean officials on his Beijing visit, something he has done on past trips to the Chinese capital.

A week ago, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met here with South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon and said the six-party talks could resume "fairly soon" if Pyongyang signals it is ready for constructive denuclearization steps.

The six-party negotiations were suspended in late 2005 after North Korea walked out in protest at US financial sanctions imposed on a Macau bank accused of illicit dealings on behalf of Pyongyang.

Before the breakdown, North Korea signed a statement agreeing to give up its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees from the other five states.

But it then went ahead and conducted its first nuclear test explosion in October, sparking international condemnation and UN sanctions.

Under intense pressure from its main ally, China, and with a promise from the United States that it would discuss the financial sanctions issue, North Korea agreed to return to the talks last month.

A first round of talks on the sanctions took place on the sidelines of the six-party meeting in Beijing and were due to resume later this month in New York.

Casey said Friday that no date had yet been set for those talks, either.

earlier related report
China, Japan and SKorea urge Pyongyang to give up nuclear arms
Cebu (AFP) Philippines, Jan 12 - China, Japan and South Korea agreed Friday to send a "clear message" to North Korea to scrap its nuclear programmes, said South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon.

"We agreed to send a clear message to North Korea that the beginning of an immediate implementation of the September 2005 agreement is the most desirable of all options," Song said.

At six-party talks in September 2005, North Korea agreed in principle to scrap its nuclear programmes in exchange for economic and energy benefits and security guarantees.

But it boycotted the forum two months later in protest at US financial sanctions imposed for alleged money-laundering and counterfeiting.

Song was speaking to reporters after meeting China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Katsuhito Asano during preparatory meetings for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

The ministers declined to say when the six-nation talks may resume. The last round was held in Beijing last month after a 13-month break but ended without apparent progress.

"The sooner the better," Song said in response to questions.

It is unclear whether the "clear message" would be delivered at the six-nation forum.

Li reiterated that all parties -- the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia -- involved in the talks should stick firmly to the goal of the denuclearisation of North Korea.

"We reaffirmed our common position on this," Li said.

The top diplomats were meeting to prepare for a meeting Sunday between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun. This is expected cover a range of issues including how to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arms.

China, North Korea's main economic lifeline, reacted angrily to its nuclear test on October 9 and backed a UN Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions.

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