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Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, left, her daughters Belinda, second left, and Mika, and her husband Charles Robert Jenkins receive flowers upon arriving at their hotel Friday, July 9, 2004 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The saga of Hitomi Soga, who was abducted by spies and taken to North Korea (news - web sites) in 1978 and then repatriated to Japan nearly two years ago, has captured the hearts of Japan. She had to return to Japan alone because her husband, Jenkins, allegedly deserted his Army unit in 1965 and would face extradition and a court martial if he were to join her here. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett)

See also: Reuni Soga di Jakarta and Modal Bangsa

Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins, right, salutes an officer as he surrenders at Camp Zama, a U.S. military base south of Tokyo, Saturday to face charges that he left his unit in 1965 and defected to North Korea. (AP)

Jenkins Turns Himself Over To U.S. Military At Camp Zama

ZAMA, Kanagawa Pref. (SuratkabarCom) - Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins turned himself over Saturday to the U.S. military at a U.S. base near Tokyo to face charges filed in 1965.

The move was a big step toward resolving the U.S.-Japan diplomatic issue of what to do with Jenkins, the husband of a former Japanese abductee who was repatriated from North Korea in 2002.

Jenkins, 64, is expected to begin legal procedures to avoid imprisonment by seeking a plea bargain for a dishonorable discharge in the near future. He is likely to provide the U.S. military with information such as the whereabouts of U.S. and South Korean soldiers who were abducted by or who deserted to North Korea.

''Sir, I'm Sgt. Jenkins. I'm reporting,'' Jenkins told Lt. Col. Paul Nigara, U.S. Army Japan provost marshal, when he arrived at Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture. Jenkins traveled to the U.S. Army base together with his wife Hitomi Soga and their two North Korea-born daughters from the Tokyo hospital where he had been staying since coming to Japan in July.

''You're now under the control of the U.S. Army,'' Nigara said, while assuring Jenkins that he and his family would be treated ''with dignity and respect at all times.''

Jenkins returned to active duty Saturday and was assigned to the administrative support unit in the U.S. Army in Japan, said Maj. John Amberg, the camp's chief spokesman, at a news conference.

The public affairs chief of the camp said Jenkins, a native of Rich Square, North Carolina, deserted to North Korea from South Korea in 1965 while serving near the demilitarized zone. He is charged with desertion, aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other personnel to desert.

His relatives in the United States reject the allegations, saying he was abducted by North Korea.

The U.S. Army in Japan said it is expected to hold a preliminary hearing on the case and decide whether Jenkins will face a court-martial.

Col. John Dykstra, an international law specialist of the army reserve, indicated it could take several months before Jenkins' fate is finalized.

Jenkins is entitled to get paid about $3,200 per month as a soldier based on the length of service before his alleged desertion. The amount of his past service totaled nine years and two months, the U.S. Army said.

Jenkins is not under arrest and can act freely at Camp Zama as long as he is accompanied by aides appointed by the U.S. Army, the army's chief of public affairs said.

But he cannot leave the camp without the commander's permission, the army said.

Jenkins is staying at the camp with his family. Jenkins and Soga married in North Korea two years after Soga was abducted in 1978.

''I want us four to go to Sado and live together as soon as possible,'' Soga said as she and her daughters went to the hospital from a Tokyo hotel earlier in the day.

Soga has a house on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture.

Jenkins has met several times at the hospital with his U.S. military-designated independent defense counsel, U.S. Army Capt. James Culp. They reportedly discussed procedures for a plea bargain.

In a statement issued last week announcing his intention to voluntarily report to the U.S. military, Jenkins said he had intended to surrender since the day he arrived in Japan.

According to a recent interview in the Far Eastern Economic Review and some Japanese sources, Jenkins said North Korea pressured him not to travel to Japan with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi before the premier went to Pyongyang in May and also to persuade Soga to return to North Korea during a family reunion in Jakarta in July.

Jenkins left North Korea with his daughters in July for the first time in 39 years and visited the Indonesian capital for the reunion. He was taken to the Tokyo Women's Medical University hospital directly from Tokyo's Haneda airport for medical treatment.

The United States has maintained its intention to take legal action against Jenkins after his health improved. President George W. Bush was apparently reluctant to give Jenkins special treatment amid ongoing fighting in Iraq and ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.

Japan has repeatedly asked the United States to pardon Jenkins. Koizumi, a close Bush ally in the Iraq war, wants to resolve the domestically sensitive abduction issue.

When Koizumi met with Jenkins in Pyongyang in May after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, Jenkins refused to go to Japan. At the summit, Kim had agreed to allow Jenkins and his daughters to leave North Korea as well as five children of four former Japanese abductees repatriated in 2002.

Koizumi was able to bring only the five children to Japan at that time, while promising to arrange a family reunion for Jenkins and Soga in a third country. (Kyodo)

Jenkins meets U.S. military lawyer

TOKYO, Aug. 5, Kyodo - (EDS: UPDATING) Alleged U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins, the husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, met a U.S. military lawyer from South Korea on Thursday afternoon in Tokyo to discuss a plea bargain and a possible court-martial, Japanese sources said.

The lawyer, James D. Culp, will hold several meetings with Jenkins, 64, and even if he is tried by court-martial a final decision on him will be made in about one month, Japanese government sources said.

Government officials from Japan and the United States did not attend Thursday's meeting, according to the sources.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters later in the day, ''We, the Japanese government, will do our utmost to enable Ms. Soga's family to live in Japan together.''

Jenkins, a former U.S. Army sergeant who has been hospitalized in Tokyo since arriving from North Korea via Jakarta on July 18, is charged with four counts -- desertion, aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other personnel to desert.

Japan has a plea bargain in mind but is leaving the final decision to Jenkins, according to Japanese government officials.

The United States says Jenkins crossed the border between North and South Korea in 1965 while serving near the demilitarized zone. But his relatives in the United States reject that allegation, saying he was abducted by North Korea.

Although the United States has so far refrained from immediately seeking custody as Jenkins is still in hospital, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker had told Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi that Washington is ready to exercise its right to seek custody of him under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement.

While calling on the U.S. for ''humanitarian consideration,'' the Japanese government has advised Jenkins to accept a plea bargain, according to the officials.

Jenkins found not to have cancer, Japanese gov't says

TOKYO, Aug. 3, Kyodo - (EDS: UPDATING WITH INFO ON JENKINS' CONDITION)

Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins, who is the husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, has been found not to have cancer, the government said Tuesday ahead of the arrival of a U.S. military lawyer from South Korea to advise him.

The Tokyo hospital treating the 64-year-old Jenkins said separately that he does not need emergency surgery but must stay in the hospital for ''physical and mental rehabilitation.''

''It was diagnosed that (Jenkins has) no such disease as cancer,'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said in a press conference.

Jenkins was told in North Korea when he underwent prostate surgery in April that he could have cancer, but examinations at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital have removed such worries, according to Hosoda.

The hospital said after giving him a thorough medical checkup that Jenkins has no physical problems that require other surgery or treatment, but that he needs to stay in the hospital as concerns remain over the effects of severe stress.

The hospital made a similar announcement on a preliminary basis July 23. Jenkins has stayed at the hospital since he arrived in Tokyo on July 18 from North Korea via Jakarta, where Soga was reunited with him and the couple's two North Korean-born daughters.

Jenkins, who the U.S. military has charged with desertion and three other counts, has accepted the Japanese government's advice to meet with a U.S. military defense counsel, but the date for the meeting has not yet been set, government sources said earlier in the day.

The military lawyer based in South Korea will arrive in Japan by the end of this week, and is expected to explain to Jenkins the process of a probable court-martial and the prospect of a possible plea bargain to reduce his punishment, the sources said.

Jenkins is also charged with aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other service members to desert.

Jenkins married Soga in 1980, two years after she was abducted by North Korean agents.

Jenkins to meet with U.S. military lawyer next week

MATSUE, July 31, Kyodo - Alleged U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins, now in a Tokyo hospital, will meet with a U.S. military lawyer next week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Saturday.

''I suppose a person who will work as defense is going to meet (with Jenkins) next week,'' Hosoda told reporters in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.

Jenkins, 64, the husband of Hitomi Soga, a Japanese abductee repatriated from North Korea, has accepted the government's advice to meet with a U.S. military defense counsel for advice about a possible court-martial.

Japan has a plea bargain in mind but is leaving a decision to Jenkins, according to government officials.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi earlier said the Japanese government will consider having officials attend the meeting if requested.

The U.S. military alleges Jenkins deserted to North Korea when he was stationed in South Korea in 1965.

Jenkins OKs meeting with U.S. military defense counsel

TOKYO, July 27, Kyodo - Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins met with Japanese government officials Tuesday morning and expressed his intentions to meet with a U.S. military defense lawyer to seek ways to settle U.S. charges against him, including desertion, government sources said.

The 64-year-old former sergeant, who is married to a repatriated Japanese abductee and has been hospitalized in Tokyo since arriving here from North Korea via Jakarta on July 18, is expected to discuss with the U.S. military individual defense counsel for courts-martial the possibility of seeking a plea bargain to resolve the issue.

Japan expects the counsel will give Jenkins extensive explanations about his legal position, court-martial procedures and the prospects of possible plea bargaining, the sources said.

Government sources said Monday the meeting could take place as early as during the week.

The U.S. charges against Jenkins also include aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other service members to desert.

Tokyo has sought to have Washington give Jenkins special consideration so he, his wife Hitomi Soga, and their two North Korea-born daughters can live together in Japan. Tokyo considers a plea bargain the best way to resolve the issue, Japanese officials have said.

But Washington maintains it has the right to seek Jenkins' custody under a bilateral extradition treaty. It apparently plans to do so after he leaves hospital.

Prior to a reunion with Soga in Jakarta earlier this month, Jenkins had been reluctant to come to Japan as he reportedly feared being handed over for a court-martial. In May, he refused to leave North Korea despite Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi guaranteeing in person that he would not be extradited.

The U.S. military alleges Jenkins crossed the border between North and South Korea in 1965 while serving in the U.S. Army near the demilitarized zone. Some members of his family in the United States reject the accusations of desertion, saying they believe he was taken captive.

Jenkins married Soga in 1980, two years after she was kidnapped by North Korean agents.

Doctors have found that Jenkins is not in a serious condition physically but that he needs to remain in the hospital until he recovers from severe stress.

Soga, 45, was reunited with Jenkins and their daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 19, on July 9 in Jakarta, ending a 21-month separation since she returned to Japan from North Korea in 2002.

Soga, 2 Daughters Move To Hotel From Hospital

TOKYO (SuratkabarCom) - Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga and her two daughters moved to a Tokyo hotel Monday from a hospital where they had been with Charles Jenkins, Soga's husband and an accused U.S. Army deserter, since their arrival in Tokyo from Jakarta earlier this month.

Soga, 45, and daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 19, will visit Jenkins, 64, from the hotel and will travel there by public transportation. Soga wants to teach her North Korean-born daughters practical knowledge about Japan.

Soga told reporters, ''I want to say thank you to all of the people who support us.''

The move came after the three found the hospital room they were using was not big enough and Jenkins' health is better than initially thought.

''I feel relieved to know that my husband's condition is better than expected. I want to enable (Jenkins and the daughters) to visit beautiful places in Japan after settling various problems,'' Soga said.

She also said she had not strongly persuaded the daughters to come to Japan after reuniting with them in Indonesia.

''I told them about what happened to me during the one year and nine months (since I returned to Japan from North Korea), and I listened as mother to what they had to say,'' she said.

According to Soga, Mika and Belinda showed gratitude to those who waved their hands at them, saying, ''There are people who support us.'' (Kyodo)

Jenkins to meet U.S. court-martial defense counsel

TOKYO, July 26, Kyodo - (EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

A U.S. military individual defense counsel for courts-martial will meet with Charles Jenkins, an accused U.S. Army deserter married to repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, possibly by the end of this week to seek ways to settle charges, including desertion, against him, Japanese government sources said Monday.

The two are expected to discuss whether the 64-year-old Jenkins, who has been hospitalized since he arrived in Japan on July 18, might seek a plea bargain with the U.S. government to resolve the issue.

''The meeting could take place as early as this week,'' one of the sources said.

The charges against Jenkins also include aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other service members to desert.

Earlier in the day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told reporters that Jenkins needs to meet with experts on U.S. courts-martial before Japan and the United States settle his case.

''On the part of the government, it is quite difficult to clearly say'' what options Jenkins has in seeking to stay in Japan, he said in a press conference. ''He has to get information from relevant people.''

Ruling Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Shinzo Abe called for arranging attorneys for Jenkins so he can discuss the matter with U.S. judicial authorities.

The government is still waiting for his reply and has no plan to hurry him, Hosoda added.

Tokyo has sought for Washington to give Jenkins special consideration so Jenkins, Soga and their two North Korea-born daughters can live together in Japan, and Tokyo considers a plea bargain the best way to resolve the issue, officials have said.

Washington is apparently planning to seek custody of Jenkins after he leaves the hospital.

Jenkins is said to have crossed the border between North and South Korea in 1965 while serving in the U.S. Army near the demilitarized zone as a sergeant. He married Soga in 1980, two years after she was kidnapped by North Korean agents.

Since arriving in Tokyo, Soga, 45, and the two daughters have stayed at the same hospital with Jenkins to take care of him, but they are expected to move to a hotel in Tokyo because the hospital room they were using was not big enough and Jenkins' health condition has been better than thought, Hosoda said.

Doctors have found Jenkins not to be in serious condition but that he needs to stay in the hospital until he recovers from severe stress, and plan to take another week examining his condition in detail.

Soga was reunited with Jenkins and their daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 19, on July 9 in Jakarta, ending a 21-month separation since she returned to Japan from North Korea in 2002.

Jenkins' case to be solved through strong Japan-U.S. ties: Kawaguchi

TOKYO, July 25, Kyodo - (EDS: CORRECTING 6TH GRAF)

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi expressed confidence Sunday that the case of Charles Jenkins, an accused U.S. Army deserter married to repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, will be resolved as Japan and the United States have a strong alliance.

While noting that the issue is a matter between the United States and Jenkins, Kawaguchi told a TV program aired by Japan Broadcasting Corp. in the morning, ''There are no bilateral issues that cannot be resolved between Japan and the United States.''

''We have a relationship of (strong) mutual trust,'' she told the program of the public broadcaster, known as NHK.

Kawaguchi's comments suggest her confidence that the matter could be resolved if Jenkins were to seek a plea bargain.

Jenkins has been accused by the United States on four charges -- desertion, aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other service members to desert.

He is said to have crossed the border between North and South Korea in 1965 while serving near the demilitarized zone.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker has suggested a plea bargain, and Japanese government officials have talked with him unofficially about the move.

Government sources said Jenkins suggested he would go for it.

Jenkins has been hospitalized in Tokyo since he arrived in Japan with his family last Sunday.

The Japanese government plans to arrange meetings for Jenkins with lawyers who are familiar with U.S. military trials to discuss steps to be taken in the case, while taking into consideration his health condition, the sources said.

Doctors at the Tokyo hospital treating Jenkins have said he is not in serious condition but needs to remain in the hospital until he recovers from severe stress.

Once the government confirms Jenkins' intention, it will promote talks with the United States over the issue, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Japanese officials said Jenkins' family -- Soga and their two North Koran-born daughters -- will move to a Tokyo hotel on Monday from the hospital where they have been looking after him.

On Japan-North Korea relations, Kawaguchi said Japan hopes to hold working-level talks with the North by mid-August to discuss the abduction issue.

Japan is expected to urge North Korea to present an interim report at the meeting on its promised reinvestigation into the fate of 10 Japanese recognized by Japan as abduction victims.

Kawaguchi, however, was not clear on when to resume bilateral negotiations on normalizing diplomatic ties.

''We will consider a variety of things comprehensively, and we will resume the talks when it is appropriate,'' she said.

Jenkins has already been charged by U.S.

TOKYO, July 24, Kyodo - (EDS: COMBINING WITH RELATED STORY)

Charles Jenkins, whose Japanese wife is a former abductee repatriated from North Korea, has already been charged as an army deserter by U.S. authorities, government sources said Saturday.

He was charged shortly after he allegedly deserted and went to North Korea in 1965 while stationed near the demilitarized zone on the Korean Peninsula, the sources said.

The four charges against him are desertion, solicitation of desertion, wartime collaboration and encouragement of job disloyalty, they said.

The Japanese government had considered asking the United States to give Jenkins, 64, immunity from prosecution. But it has concluded that a plea bargain with the United States is the best way to resolve the issue of the alleged desertion for Jenkins to live in Japan with his wife Hitomi Soga, 45, and their two North Korean-born daughters.

Jenkins has been hospitalized in Tokyo since he arrived in Japan with his family on Sunday.

Members of his family in the United States say that the U.S. military lacks hard evidence to support its accusations and that Jenkins was captured by the North.

Washington maintains its right to take him into custody to court-martial him but has said it will not request his extradition while he remains hospitalized.

The Tokyo hospital treating him said Friday that Jenkins is not in serious condition but needs to stay in hospital until he recovers from severe stress.

Japanese government officials talked with him unofficially about the possibility of a plea bargain and he suggested he would go for it, the sources said.

But a senior U.S. Defense Department official denied speculation Friday that there have been moves in the United States to permit a plea bargain with Jenkins.

''No one I know suggests there is a bargain...No suggestion about it,'' Deputy Defense Undersecretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless said.

Lawless reiterated the U.S. policy of taking Jenkins into custody for a court-martial.

''The U.S. position is this man is subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice,'' he told reporters. ''He is an active duty U.S. serviceman.''

Asked whether the United States can be flexible on the case, Lawless replied, ''No.''

Jenkins not in serious condition but to stay in hospital

By Natsumi Mizumoto

TOKYO, July 23, Kyodo - (EDS: ADDING MORE INFO)

Charles Jenkins, an accused U.S. Army deserter married to repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, is not in serious condition but needs to stay in hospital until he recovers from severe stress, the Tokyo hospital treating him said Friday.

''Concerning his physical condition...we have found following checkups in Jakarta and Japan that there is only a slight possibility that he has a serious disease,'' Atsushi Nagai, deputy director of the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, told a press conference.

But he added, ''As for his mental state, we believe he is suffering from severe stress due to various issues, and is no condition to return to normal life immediately. He needs to stay in hospital and try and regain his mental equilibrium.''

Jenkins, 64, has been hospitalized since he arrived in Japan on Sunday from Jakarta with Soga and their two North Korean-born daughters. The family was reunited in the Indonesian capital on July 9 for the first time since Soga returned to Japan from the North in October 2002.

Earlier in the day, Soga paid a visit to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi at the Foreign Ministry to express her gratitude for the government's efforts to realize the visit of her family to Japan and also to seek its cooperation in resolving the fate of her husband.

She and her daughters later visited a popular park in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, the first outing the three have gone on since arriving in Japan.

Concerning Jenkins' condition, the hospital offered a similar account when a U.S. military doctor and embassy officials visited earlier Friday, said hospital director Hiroshi Toma.

The United States has indicated it has no plans to ask the Japanese government to hand over Jenkins while he is hospitalized, but has reiterated it has the right to seek the handover of Jenkins as a deserter and will do so at an ''appropriate time.''

The Japanese government wants Washington to give Jenkins special consideration so as to enable the family to live together in Japan.

Tokyo transferred Jenkins to the Tokyo hospital as an ''emergency, humanitarian measure'' even before reaching an accord on the prosecution issue with Washington, due to his illness.

Jenkins has lost nearly 10 kilograms in weight since undergoing prostate surgery in April in North Korea and was suffering from ''extreme fatigue'' when he was hospitalized, but is ''generally heading toward recovery,'' Nagai said.

An abdominal wound from the surgery ''has almost healed,'' the chief doctor of Jenkins' 15-member medical team added.

But the doctors declined to disclose the reason for Jenkins' operation, although a top government official earlier hinted at the possibility that Jenkins has cancer and that more surgery might be necessary.

Nagai said Jenkins has told the hospital staff that North Korean doctors suggested that he had a ''serious disease,'' but that the possibility of such a disease in extremely low.

The Tokyo doctors also see no need so far for further surgery, but will take another week to examine Jenkins' condition in detail, they said.

The hospital also gave checkups to daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, who turned 19 Friday, and gave them a clean bill of health, said Nagai.

Doctors said they had liaised with the government ministers prior to the press conference on how to describe Jenkins' condition, adding that the hospital accepted the visit by U.S. officials at the request of the Foreign Ministry.

The U.S. officials' visit was apparently aimed at gathering information before Washington decides on how to proceed with its plan to prosecute the former U.S. Army sergeant.

The U.S. military lists Jenkins as having deserted to North Korea in 1965 while serving as a sergeant near the demilitarized zone on the Korean Peninsula.

Soga, 45, was abducted by North Korean agents in 1978 and married Jenkins in 1980.

Jenkins' nephew in Tokyo hoping for reunion with uncle

TOKYO, July 23, Kyodo - A nephew of accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins flew from the United States to Tokyo almost a week ago in hopes of meeting his uncle, but is still waiting for permission from the Japanese government to do so, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The paper said that James Hyman, a 43-year-old North Carolina firefighter, wants to meet Jenkins to bring a message back to the former U.S. sergeant's 91-year-old mother in the United States.

Hyman has sought permission for a visit from the Japanese government but has been told that Jenkins, husband of Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga repatriated from North Korea, is unavailable while undergoing medical tests at a hospital in Tokyo, the paper said.

Hyman, who learned about Jenkins' desertion charges at age 13, has been crusading to find his uncle and petitioning for clemency. The U.S. Army alleges that Jenkins defected to North Korea in 1965.

He sent U.S. President George W. Bush a fax every Friday morning for 10 weeks, claiming that his uncle had been abducted to the North and was not a defector, the journal said.

Hyman is scheduled to give a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan Saturday evening before leaving Japan Sunday.

Soga, daughters take a walk in Tokyo park

TOKYO, July 23, Kyodo - Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga and her two North Korean-born daughters visited a popular park in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on Friday, the first outing the three have gone on since arriving in Japan on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Soga paid a visit to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi at the Foreign Ministry to express her gratitude for the government's efforts to realize the visit of her family to Japan and also to seek its cooperation in resolving the fate of her husband, Charles Jenkins, who is an accused U.S. Army deserter.

Soga, 45, returned to Japan on Sunday, bringing Jenkins, 64, and their two daughters, Mika, 21, and Belinda, 19, from Jakarta where the family was reunited July 9 for the first time since Soga returned to Japan in October 2002.

Jenkins has since been hospitalized at the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, and the three have been staying at the hospital to be near him.

The visit by Soga and her daughters to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden coincided with the birthday of Belinda, who turned 19.

All three were wearing blue ribbons, symbol of the Japanese public's wish to see the abduction issue resolved.

Meanwhile, in her meeting with Kawaguchi, Soga asked the government to continue working to resolve the problems her family faces.

''I believe there will still be problems, but I am relieved that we were able to come to Japan'' as a family, she told the foreign minister.

Japan wants the United States to show Jenkins special consideration. The United States is believed to be considering a plea bargain or some other arrangement in exchange for Jenkins cooperating fully with questioning.

But for the time being, while he is being hospitalized, Washington has said it will not seek his handover.

The foreign minister also assured Soga that the government will continue to support the family and do its utmost to clear up the whereabouts of other Japanese who remain unaccounted for, including Soga's mother Miyoshi.

Soga was abducted at age 19 by North Korean agents along with her mother in 1978. In North Korea, she met and married Jenkins in 1980.

Soga Visits Govt, LDP To Seek Support For Jenkins

TOKYO (Kyodo)--Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga visited top government and ruling party officials Tuesday to seek further support for her family to live in Japan amid uncertainty about whether her American husband will be able to do so.

Soga, who returned Sunday from a trip to Indonesia with her husband Charles Jenkins and their two North Korean-born daughters, met Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Shinzo Abe in the afternoon.

''I would like to express my appreciation from the bottom of my heart for being able to return safely,'' Soga, 45, said in a meeting with Hosoda at the prime minister's office.

''We have a difficult issue lying ahead, but I want much more cooperation than before,'' she said, alluding to the U.S. plan to take Jenkins into custody after he leaves hospital for deserting the U.S. military.

Jenkins came to Japan for treatment of stomach problems and is getting checked out at a Tokyo hospital. The United States plans to charge him for deserting to North Korea in 1965 while serving as a sergeant in the U.S. Army.

Hosoda later told reporters the government will consider ways to resolve the Jenkins issue while he is in hospital.

Hosoda also said he has pledged to Soga to address the case of her mother, Miyoshi Soga, who went missing along with Soga, and other people who Tokyo believes were abducted by North Korea, and that he suggested Soga return to her hometown with her daughters.

In a later meeting with Abe at LDP headquarters, Soga indicated she would consider returning to the city of Sado in Niigata Prefecture after her husband's condition stabilizes, Abe said.

Abe said he also has vowed to Soga to do his best for Jenkins and elaborated the earlier suggestion by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker that he will try plea-bargaining.

Soga was reunited with Jenkins and her daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, on July 9 in Jakarta, ending their 21-month separation since her return to Japan in October 2002, which was initially supposed to be a short trip.

She was kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1978 and married Jenkins in 1980.

Accused US Army Deserter Arrives In Japan

TOKYO (AP)--A former U.S. soldier accused of defecting to North Korea nearly 40 years ago rested in a Tokyo hospital Monday, while many Japanese hoped Washington would be lenient in its desertion case against him so he may resettle here with his Japanese wife.

Charles Jenkins, 64, was to undergo testing starting Tuesday to determine how he should be treated, a hospital official said on condition of anonymity. The Japanese government says Jenkins suffers from after-affects of abdominal surgery he received in North Korea and needs urgent care.

Jenkins, who disappeared near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea in 1965, arrived in Japan Sunday with his Japanese wife and their North Korean-born daughters.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had lobbied hard for him to come to Japan amid an outpouring of public sympathy for his wife and her plight as a former victim of kidnapping by the North Korean state.

His wife, Hitomi Soga, was abducted from her hometown on the small island of Sado in the Sea of Japan in 1978 and taken to the North to teach Japanese to communist spies. She lived for 24 years in the North, where she met and married Jenkins. Pyongyang allowed her to return to Japan two years ago, but she had to leave Jenkins and their two daughters behind.

Soga, 45, and the Japanese government hope Jenkins will settle here permanently so his family can live together on Sado.

Jenkins had initially been reluctant to join his wife in Japan for fear he would be extradited to the U.S. to face charges of desertion.

However, after being reunited last week with his wife in Indonesia , which doesn't have an extradition treaty with the U.S., Jenkins said he wanted to go to Japan for the sake of his family and was willing to risk being handed over to U.S. custody.

"If possible, we need to seek special consideration for him from the United States," Koizumi told reporters Monday. "Jenkins needs to be able to dedicate himself to treatment."

Washington says Jenkins is still wanted on four counts, but U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker indicated the U.S. wouldn't immediately seek custody of Jenkins while he was being treated.

Jenkins' nephew, James Hyman, who flew to Japan in the hope of seeing his uncle, said he was relieved Jenkins was in good hands.

"We're glad that he's got to Japan where he can get some proper medical treatment," Hyman said Monday in an appearance on Japan's NTV network. He said he hopes to be able to speak directly with Jenkins soon.

"He has had a very rough life and we're just glad that he's in a country now where he can live freely," he said, adding that he expected his uncle would want to settle in Japan with his family rather than return to the U.S.

Jenkins' family has denied that he is a deserter, maintaining that he was kidnapped by North Korea. Hyman called for his uncle to be pardoned.

Jenkins' sister in North Carolina, Pat Harrell, told the News & Observer of Raleigh that she hoped to visit her brother in Tokyo, but would wait until his condition improved. She said she spoke to him over the telephone when he was in Indonesia .

Even though she hasn't seen her brother for nearly 40 years, Harrell said she's looked at enough recent pictures of Jenkins so that it wouldn't feel too strange to finally stand next to him again.

"It's true, he is 39 years older," she said. "But so am I."

Despite the seriousness of the charges facing Jenkins, who was apparently never processed out of the military, many Japanese hope the U.S. will go easy on him because of his wife and their daughters, Mika, 21 and Belinda, 18.

If convicted of desertion, Jenkins could face life in prison.

Jenkins willing to visit Japan; Tokyo assumes no U.S. agreement

TOKYO, July 14, Kyodo - (EDS: UPDATING)

Charles Jenkins, an accused U.S. Army deserter and the husband of a repatriated Japanese abductee, has expressed willingness to visit Japan, while Tokyo is planning to realize his visit even without an agreement from Washington to prevent his extradition, Japanese government sources said Wednesday.

Jenkins, 64, has told a Japanese government official that while he is anxious, he would like to trust Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who in a May 22 meeting in Pyongyang persuaded him to come to Japan, the sources said.

The Japanese government now plans to bring him to Japan at an early date even if it cannot conclude beforehand an agreement that the United States will not seek his custody, where he will face prosecution for allegedly deserting the Army nearly 40 years ago.

Japan and the United States have an extradition treaty.

Tokyo is mulling a visit by Jenkins early next week, the sources said. Preparations are under way to arrange a chartered plane to bring Jenkins, his wife Hitomi Soga, 45, and their daughters to Japan, according to the sources. The family is currently in Jakarta.

Japanese officials are hoping to persuade the two North Korean-born daughters, Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, to come along as they are said to be uninterested in going to Japan, the sources said.

Jenkins expressed his willing to visit Japan apparently because Koizumi told him in the May meeting that he would not be handed over to the United States without any authorization by Tokyo, the sources said.

Jenkins told the government official he hopes Koizumi will definitely guarantee he would be able to continue to stay in Japan, the sources said.

The government has decided to bring Jenkins to Japan even without an agreement from Washington because officials believe Jenkins requires medical treatment in Japan soon, the sources said.

The officials however believe securing such agreement on humanitarian grounds from Washington before bringing Jenkins to Japan would be difficult, according to the sources. Tokyo apparently believes it can avoid handing Jenkins over to the United States if he is in Japan for hospital treatment.

Koizumi acknowledged Wednesday that efforts are under way to bring the Soga family from Jakarta.

Speaking to reporters, Koizumi said he was told Jenkin's medical condition is ''not good,'' and that ''it is better for him to undergo treatment at a hospital in Japan.''

Koizumi also said the government aims to enable Jenkins to live in Japan permanently rather than make a temporary visit for medical reasons.

''I am indeed worried about his medical condition but I am making efforts at enabling the family of Ms. Soga to live together in Japan,'' Koizumi said. ''In principle, I hope to explore a solution that would satisfy both countries based on the strong relationship of trust between Japan and the United States.''

Jenkins had an abdominal operation in April in North Korea and he also has some illness in his internal organs, a Japanese government official said in Jakarta.

A government source said Wednesday evening that since Tokyo had originally planned to bring Jenkins and the daughters to Japan on May 22, negotiations with the United States would simply have to take place after Jenkins arrives in Japan.

On May 22, Koizumi met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang for the second time, where Kim agreed to let the families of repatriated abductees leave for Japan.

That day, Koizumi brought five North Korean-born children of four other abductees with him to Tokyo. Jenkins and his daughters refused to leave Pyongyang, reportedly because he feared extradition.

Jenkins married Soga in North Korea in 1980, two years after Soga was abducted from Japan.

Jenkins, Soga and their daughters were reunited in the Indonesian capital last Friday for the first time in 21 months and are staying in a hotel there.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher reiterated Tuesday there is no change in the policy of seeking Jenkins' handover to U.S. authorities.

Indonesia was chosen as the location of the reunion as it has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 along with the four other Japanese abductees, leaving her husband and daughters behind in North Korea. Soga and the four others were abducted by North Korea in 1978.

Jenkins suffers postoperative effect, illness in internal organs

JAKARTA, July 14, Kyodo - Charles Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, is suffering from the postoperative effects of abdominal surgery in North Korea in April as well as some illness in his internal organs, a Japanese government official said Wednesday.

The official, Hiroshi Oguma, refrained from disclosing the specifics of Jenkins' condition for reasons of privacy but the official said he is not in a life-threatening situation.

Oguma said his comment about the condition of Jenkins, 64, was based on the results of a medical checkup on Tuesday at a hospital in a Jakarta suburb, part of which has been made available, as well as other medical diagnoses conducted on him.

Full results of the medical checkup are expected to be made known later this week, said Oguma, head of an office supporting victims of abductions and their families at the Cabinet Secretariat Office.

Soga, 45, wants her husband to undergo medical treatment in Japan, according to the official.

She was quoted as telling Oguma that she was thankful for having him undergo a medical checkup at the hospital, said to be the best locally.

''Mr. Jenkins appears to be concerned about whether he could adapt to Japan,'' Oguma said. ''As soon as the results are known, we will consider a necessary response after confirming his wishes.''

On Wednesday, Soga, Jenkins and their two daughters -- Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, -- spent time together quietly, playing cards with Oguma and a few other Japanese officials, at a hotel in downtown Jakarta where they are staying, an official said.

Soga also showed them a video of her native island town of Sado, linked by a high-speed boat service to Niigata in Honshu, the main island of the Japanese archipelago, the official said.

Mika was quoted as saying the sea looked beautiful and that she would like to ride on the boat.

Soga was reunited for the first time in 21 months last Friday with Jenkins and their daughters, who were flown there from North Korea. Soga was abducted by North Korea in 1978, married Jenkins two years later and returned to Japan in October 2002.

Japan: Doctors Examining Accused US Deserter In Jakarta

TOKYO (SuratkabarCom) - Japanese doctors have been dispatched to examine an accused U.S. Army deserter meeting with his Japanese wife in Indonesia , Japan's top government spokesman said Tuesday.

Japanese media speculated Tuesday that the government is considering bringing Charles Jenkins, who has lived in North Korea since 1965, to Japan for unspecified medical treatment.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said he couldn't comment on whether Jenkins, who is wanted for desertion in the U.S., would come to Japan.

"Doctors were sent to Jakarta from Japan, and it seems that they are having consultations. I think we have to ask them about their medical judgment," Hosoda said.

Jenkins' wife, Hitomi Soga, was kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1978 and taken to the communist country. She met Jenkins there and married, and they have two daughters.

Soga was permitted to return to Japan in 2002 after a Japan-North Korea summit, but Jenkins remained behind with his daughters out of fear he would be extradited to the U.S. to face charges.

Instead, Japanese officials arranged a reunion between Soga and her family in Indonesia , which has no extradition treaty with the U.S. Jenkins and the daughters arrived in Jakarta on Friday.

The Japanese government is eager to reunite the family permanently but has failed to win a public U.S. pledge of leniency in the Jenkins case if the family returns to Japan.

Japanese TV networks NTV and TBS, however, speculated that the government was considering bringing Jenkins back to Japan for medical treatment as soon as this week.

NTV said Jenkins' condition from a recent operation could worsen and he may not be able to receive proper treatment in Indonesia . The report cited an unidentified government official.

U.S. intentions to prosecute him would still be a concern, and Japan is still trying to work out a solution with the U.S., NTV said.

An official at the Cabinet Office handling the cases of Japanese abducted by North Korea would only say that Jenkins had medical problems involving his abdomen, and that he apparently underwent an operation in North Korea.

The Japanese doctors - one who works at the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta and two who flew on the plane that brought Jenkins from North Korea - were changing the dressing from the operation, the Cabinet official said.

Jenkins isn't bedridden. He boarded the plane to Jakarta last Friday and has been shown on TV walking around without visible difficulty. He was, however, apparently hospitalized in North Korea shortly after his wife returned to Japan in late 2002. (AP)

U.S. says no change in custody policy on Jenkins

WASHINGTON, July 13, Kyodo - The United States reiterated Tuesday that there is no change in its policy of taking Charles Jenkins, the American husband of former Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, into custody because of his status as a U.S. Army deserter to North Korea.

''I think they (the Japanese government) understand our position that Sergeant Jenkins does face potentially serious charges if he is in a place where he is subject,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.

His comments came after Japanese government sources said in Tokyo on Tuesday that Japan has sounded out Jenkins about coming to Japan for medical treatment.

Jenkins has been staying in Jakarta since Friday with Soga and their two North Korean-born daughters. Following his reunion with Soga, Jenkins has expressed a wish to live in Japan if he is guaranteed not to be put in custody.

By taking him to Japan for hospital treatment, Japan is seeking to gain U.S. consent to waive a request that Tokyo hand him over.

''It's a matter we'll keep in touch with the Japanese government on,'' Boucher said. ''But as far as what they do or what he (Jenkins) decides to do, those are the facts that have to be taken into account.''

Soga was abducted by North Korean agents in 1978 and repatriated in 2002, leaving Jenkins and their two daughters behind. The U.S. military lists Jenkins as having deserted the U.S. Army in 1965 while serving as a sergeant near the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

Jenkins has reportedly refused to come to Japan due to fear Japan will hand him over to the United States for a court-martial under a bilateral extradition treaty. Indonesia has no such treaty with the United States.

The treaty has no clause to limit extradition of a culprit under treatment, but whether to actually hand a suspect over in such a case is often left to a judgment of circumstances, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Japan sounds out Jenkins to come to Japan for treatment

TOKYO, July 13, Kyodo - (EDS: ADDING INFO)

Japan has sounded out Charles Jenkins, a former U.S. soldier who married Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga in North Korea, to come to Japan for hospital treatment, government sources said Tuesday.

Jenkins, who is listed by Washington as a U.S. Army deserter, has expressed a wish to live in Japan if he is guaranteed not to be extradited, after his reunion in Jakarta with Soga, who was repatriated in 2002, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

However, it is uncertain if Japan will be able to gain U.S. consent to waive a request that Tokyo hand him over, on humanitarian grounds.

Jenkins has reportedly refused to come to Japan due to fear Japan will hand him over to the United States for a court-martial under a bilateral extradition treaty. He is said to be ill and has recently undergone surgery.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda indicated that Japan has not reached an accord on the matter with the United States, and declined to confirm the possibility of Jenkins coming to Japan for health reasons.

''It is quite difficult unless we clear the issue of the U.S. government having told us it would request an extradition if he enters Japan,'' Hosoda, the top government spokesman, said in a press conference.

''We clearly need to discuss the matter with the relevant nation,'' he added.

Jenkins, Soga and their two North Korea-born daughters have stayed at a Jakarta hotel since they were reunited last Friday, ending a 21-month separation following Soga's return to Japan in October 2002. Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Jenkins feels affinity with Japan, speaks with kin in U.S.

TOKYO, July 12, Kyodo - Charles Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, has said he feels an affinity with Japan, but has yet to express his intention to travel there, government officials said Monday.

Jenkins, 64, was surprised to receive a phone call from family members in the United States on Sunday when he, his wife and daughters visited the official residence of Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yutaka Iimura for dinner, the officials said.

The officials were referring to a report made Monday by Kyoko Nakayama, adviser to the Japanese Cabinet Secretarial on the abduction issue, to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Nakayama, who had accompanied Soga, 45, to Jakarta for the family reunion, returned to Tokyo earlier in the day, and visited the prime minister's office to brief Koizumi on the reunion.

''I hope the family will come to Japan together at an early date,'' Nakayama quoted Koizumi as saying.

Soga, Jenkins and their two daughters, Mika and Belinda, were reunited last Friday in Jakarta after 21 months.

Soga was abducted by North Korea in 1978 and repatriated in 2002, leaving Jenkins and their two North Korean-born daughters behind. Washington has listed Jenkins as deserting from the U.S Army in South Korea and going to North Korea in 1965.

It is uncertain whether the family will be able to live together permanently in Japan, as Soga wishes, because Jenkins fears being handed over for a court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia mainly because it has no extradition treaty with the United States.

According to sources familiar with Japan-North Korea relations, Jenkins has not expressed his intention of returning to the North since his arrival in Jakarta on Friday.

''I sense that he is hoping to go to Japan if possible. I also get the impression he has a feeling of closeness toward the prime minister,'' one of the sources said.

Jenkins also told Japanese officials that he had been going out with a Japanese woman while stationed at a U.S. military base in Japan, the sources said.

In Jakarta, the family enjoyed spending time together in their hotel suite on Monday, watching a Harry Potter film and eating a lunch of Chinese noodles, their favorite dish, Japanese officials in the Indonesian capital said.

Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, watched a Harry Potter video with Korean subtitles, according to Hiroshi Oguma, head of an office supporting victims of abductions and their families at the Cabinet Secretariat Office.

The same day, Jenkins received another medical checkup, Oguma said.

On Sunday, Soga, Jenkins and their two daughters watched cartoons of Japanese folk tales on video, with Soga translating the stories into Korean, he said.

Oguma, meanwhile, said that the three North Korean officials who accompanied Jenkins to Jakarta from Pyongyang continue to request access to him, but Japan is preventing this.

All calls to the family's suite are being blocked.

Jenkins hopes to be with Soga, daughters: Japanese official

JAKARTA, July 11, Kyodo - Charles Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, expressed hope Sunday to always be together with his wife and the couple's two daughters, after Soga and the three were reunited for the first time in 21 months on Friday, a Japanese government official said.

The family stayed in their suite at a Jakarta hotel on Sunday. Kyoko Nakayama, adviser to the Japanese Cabinet Secretariat on the abduction issue, told reporters that Jenkins made the comment when she met with the family.

The 64-year-old Jenkins also reminisced about the time he first wanted to marry Soga, telling Nakayama that people close to him were opposed to the marriage because of their age difference. Soga is 45.

Jenkins received a medical checkup on Saturday and Sunday, and a doctor told him he needs to have his abdomen monitored after undergoing surgery recently.

Soga prepared curry and rice for the family for dinner Saturday, and they ate sandwiches delivered by the hotel's room service on Sunday morning, Nakayama said.

The two daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, wore shirts Soga gave them and said they really like the clothing, according to Nakayama.

The family watched videos Soga brought from Japan and listened to music on compact discs. They also did laundry and cleaning at their suite, she said.

Three North Korean officials who traveled with Jenkins and the daughters from Pyongyang to Jakarta left the hotel for a time Sunday but did not respond to questions from the press.

The hotel has limited telephone access to the family's room, blocking internal phone calls.

The three officials as well as North Korean diplomats at the country's embassy in Jakarta tried to visit the family's suite to contact Jenkins, but Japan has rejected their requests to meet Jenkins, Japanese government sources said.

Soga was abducted by North Korea in 1978 and repatriated in 2002, leaving Jenkins and their two North Korean-born daughters behind. Washington has listed Jenkins as deserting from the U.S Army in South Korea and going to North Korea in 1965.

It is uncertain whether the family will be able to live together permanently in Japan, as Soga wishes, because Jenkins fears being handed over for a court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia mainly because it has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Soga, Jenkins, daughters stay at Jakarta hotel Sat.

JAKARTA, July 10, Kyodo - (EDS: ADDING SOGA'S COMMENTS IN 2ND-4TH GRAFS)

Repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, her American husband Charles Jenkins and their two daughters stayed in their suite at a Jakarta hotel Saturday, a day after being reunited for the first time in 21 months, Japanese officials escorting Soga said.

Soga expressed gratitude to the Indonesian government and people for their role in realizing the reunion.

''I would like to thank the Indonesian government and people from the bottom of my heart,'' Soga said in a statement given to Kyoko Nakayama, adviser to the Japanese Cabinet Secretariat on the abduction issue who was accompanying Soga.

''I am glad to be able to share time with the rest of my family for the first time in one year and nine months in this beautiful tropical country,'' Soga said.

The Japanese government has said it will wait for the results of Soga's efforts to try to persuade her husband and daughters to go to Japan based on her wish for the family to live there together.

''One major hurdle of their reunion has been cleared,'' one official said. ''We will do our utmost to meet their requirements.''

Three North Korean officials traveled with Jenkins, 64, Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, from Pyongyang to Jakarta on Friday aboard a Japanese government-chartered plane.

One of the North Korean officials told reporters the reunion is a family matter, not a government one.

The North Korean officials are staying on a different floor than the family, and the Japanese government has taken all the rooms on the floor where the family's suite is located.

A Japanese government source said Japan has requested that North Korea cooperate in providing a calm environment for the family to help them discuss their future.

Soga, 45, was abducted to North Korea in 1978 and repatriated in 2002, leaving Jenkins and their two North-Korean born daughters behind.

The family was reunited Friday afternoon at Jakarta airport. Scenes of Soga and Jenkins embracing were broadcast in many countries.

Washington has listed Jenkins as deserting in South Korea from the U.S. Army and going to North Korea in 1965.

It remains uncertain whether the family will be able to live together permanently in Japan, as Soga wishes, because Jenkins apparently fears being handed over for court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia mainly because it has no extradition treaty with the United States.

In Washington on Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that in terms of the U.S. position, ''We've said as a humanitarian matter we thought (the family reunion) was appropriate but that it remains that Sgt. Jenkins potentially faces serious (desertion) charges should he be in a place where he's subject to U.S. jurisdiction.''

In Tokyo the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Japan has sounded out Washington about the possibility of it taking measures to allay Jenkins' concerns, such as not charging him.

''But the answer we received was severe,'' Hosoda said.

Indonesia's Megawati wants to meet Soga's family

JAKARTA, July 9, Kyodo - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has expressed her desire to meet repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga and her family from North Korea, who were reunited here Friday, a government source said.

''The president wants to meet Soga and her family, but no definitive decision has been made,'' the source, who asked not to be named, told Kyodo News.

''But there is no political intention behind her wish,'' the source added.

Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Marty Natalegawa said the Indonesian government had no plans to meet the family, although it was ready to provide facilities they need during their stay in the country.

Soga, 45, was reunited with her 64-year-old American husband Charles Jenkins and their two North Korea-born daughters, Mika and Belinda, in Jakarta after they flew from Pyongyang on a Japanese government-chartered plane on Friday.

Soga, who was abducted by North Korea in 1978, returned to Japan in October 2002 along with four other former abductees. The children of the two married couples who came with her were brought to Japan in May this year.

Former Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, second from right, is reunited with her husband, American Charles Robert Jenkins, right, and their two daughters, Mika, second from left, and Belinda at Sukarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2004. Jenkins and the two daughters earlier flew into Indonesia on a flight from Pyongyang, North Korea (news - web sites), for a reunion with Soga, a Japanese abductee repatriated from North Korea. (AP Photo/Noboru Hashimoto)

Ex-abductees call for gov't efforts to bring Jenkins to Japan

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo - Two former Japanese abductees who were repatriated to Japan from North Korea in 2002 along with Hitomi Soga on Friday called on the government to boost efforts to bring her American husband and North Korean-born daughters to Japan so that the family can live there permanently.

''I want the government to firmly support (the family) so that Soga's wish will come true,'' Kaoru Hasuike said in a statement he released after Soga was reunited with her American husband Charles Jenkins and their two daughters after 21 months.

Soga has repeatedly said she wants to live with her husband and daughters permanently in Japan.

Yasushi Chimura urged the government to accelerate negotiations with countries concerned to realize Soga's wish in a statement he issued Friday evening.

Chimura was apparently referring to the need for more talks with the United States about the fate of Jenkins, who is listed as a U.S. Army deserter. He has refused to come to Japan for fear of being extradited to the Untied States for a possible court-martial.

The Japanese government has sounded out the United States about taking measures to allay Jenkins' concerns, including a decision not to charge him.

Soga, Hasuike and Chimura were among the five Japanese abductees who were released by North Korea in October 2002. The other two were Hasuike's wife Yukiko and Chimura's wife Fukie. The two couples and Soga left their kin behind at that time.

The children of the Hasuikes and Chimuras came to Japan after Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang in May for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Jenkins and the daughters refused Koizumi's invitation to come to Japan at that time.

Meanwhile, Tsutomu Nishioka who is a leading supporter of the repatriated abductees and their relatives, said the reunions of the three families do not mean the issue of North Korea's past abductions of Japanese was settled.

There are still many Japanese who have gone missing after allegedly being abducted by North Korea and calls for investigation of these cases should not be shoved aside, Nishioka said.

N. Korea official congratulates Soga-Jenkins family on reunion

PYONGYANG, July 9, Kyodo - A North Korean government official on Friday congratulated the family of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga on being reunited in Jakarta after 21 months of separation and voiced hope it will prompt the two countries to resume talks to normalize ties. The official said he ''is hoping it would lead (Japan-North Korea) relations to an improvement and advancement.''

Soga was reunited with her husband Charles Jenkins and their two North Korea-born daughters, Mika and Belinda, in the Indonesian capital after they flew from Pyongyang on a Japanese government-chartered plane on Friday.

Soga, who was abducted by North Korea in 1978, returned to Japan in October 2002, along with four other former abductees, two couples. But the five left their relatives behind. The couples' children were taken to Japan in May this year.

Officials from Japan and North Korea met for talks about two weeks after the five returned to Japan but failed to resume negotiations on normalization due mainly to the rift over the abductions.

Soga reunited with family in Jakarta, future uncertain

JAKARTA, July 9, Kyodo - (EDS: UPDATING)

Repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga was reunited Friday evening with her husband Charles Jenkins and their two North Korean-born daughters after 21 months, but it remains uncertain whether and when they will be able to live together permanently in Japan as Soga desires.

Jenkins, listed as a U.S. Army deserter, has refused to go to Japan reportedly due to fear of being extradited to the United States under a bilateral treaty to face a court-martial. Washington is standing firm on its stance that it will seek Jenkins' extradition for alleged desertion if he goes to Japan.

Soga, 45, immediately hugged and kissed Jenkins, 64, on the tarmac as he disembarked from a Japanese government-chartered plane at Sukarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta at 5:10 p.m.

Their daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, were in tears as they stepped off the plane after an eight-hour flight from Pyongyang and saw their mother.

The family has been separated since Soga, who was abducted to North Korea in 1978, returned to Japan in 2002, leaving Jenkins and the daughters in North Korea.

The first words Soga said to her family were ''sorry'' in Japanese to Jenkins and in Korean to Mika, while Belinda called out ''Mom!'' in Korean as Soga hugged her.

''I'm very happy,'' Jenkins told reporters in English after arriving at the hotel where the family will be staying in downtown Jakarta.

Pyongyang has told Tokyo that Japan need not send Jenkins and the daughters back to North Korea after the reunion, sources close to Japan-North Korea relations said Friday. However, it is not yet known if this has been communicated to Jenkins.

The sources said Pyongyang may be hoping that its stance will help pave the way for the resumption of official talks with Tokyo for normalization of bilateral relations.

Soga, who arrived in Jakarta from Tokyo a day earlier, has said she eventually wants to live in Japan with her husband and daughters.

Jenkins, who Washington says deserted from the U.S. Army and went to North Korea in 1965, rejected an invitation by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to come to Japan when they met in Pyongyang in May on the sidelines of a summit between the premier and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia mainly because it has no extradition treaty with the United States. Indonesia also has a historically close relationship with North Korea.

In Tokyo, Koizumi said Japan will try to find a way to enable the family to live in Japan through talks with the United States.

''The government will try to enable them live in Japan,'' he told reporters after the reunion had taken place.

Koizumi also said he believes North Korea will not seek Jenkins' return to the communist state.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda indicated earlier in the day it will not be an easy job to persuade the three to travel to Japan.

Tokyo has sounded out Washington about the possibility of it taking measures to allay Jenkins' concerns, such as not charging him, ''but the answer we received was severe,'' Hosoda said.

The top government spokesman also voiced hope that progress would be made on the issue when the Japanese government has the opportunity to understand Jenkins' position more clearly in Indonesia.

As for how long the family will stay in Jakarta, where they are being accommodated in a suite at the luxury hotel at the Japanese government's expense, Hosoda said it was up to them.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin said in a TV interview that if the family wishes to live permanently in Indonesia, the government will consider such a request.

The chartered All Nippon Airways Boeing 767, which landed in Jakarta just before 5 p.m., had traveled from Tokyo to Pyongyang earlier in the day to pick up Jenkins and the daughters.

Japanese officials, including Akitaka Saiki, deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and three North Korean officials accompanied them to Jakarta.

In a rare move, the North's state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Station delivered a live broadcast of Saiki meeting North Korean officials after arriving in Pyongyang in the morning.

The broadcast, carried by TV Asahi in Japan, also showed Jenkins and his daughters, all wearing North Korean flag pins, going through departure procedures at the airport. Jenkins was also seen smoking a Marlboro-brand cigarette, which is considered a luxury item in North Korea.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 with four other Japanese abducted by the North in 1978. The five left members of their families behind in North Korea.

The four other abductees -- two couples -- were reunited with their North Korea-born sons and daughters in Japan in May.

Japan to seek way for Jenkins to come to Japan: Koizumi

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo - Japan will try to find a way to bring Charles Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, to Japan through talks with the United States, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Friday.

Commenting on Soga's reunion with Jenkins and their two daughters on Friday in Jakarta after a 21-month separation, Koizumi also said he believes North Korea will not seek Jenkins' return to the communist state.

''Mr. Kim Jong Il clearly said during talks with me on May 22 that he wants the family to live together and doesn't want them separated,'' Koizumi told reporters upon his return home from campaigning for Sunday's House of Councillors election.

''The government will try to enable them to live in Japan,'' he said.

Koizumi said Japan will discuss the unresolved issue over Jenkins with the United States, which accuses him of deserting the U.S. Army nearly 40 years ago and intends to take him into custody if there is a legal opportunity to do so.

Jenkins has refused to come to Japan due to fear Tokyo may hand him over to Washington under a bilateral extradition treaty. Indonesia has no such pact with the United States.

''The United States is in a difficult position, but Japan and the United States have a strong relationship of trust and so, based on this relationship, we plan to explore the way for a resolution that is mutually satisfactory,'' Koizumi said.

Koizumi also said he wants to wait quietly until Soga persuades her family to come and live together in Japan as she hopes.

Soga, who was abducted by North Korean agents in 1978 and married Jenkins in 1980, was reunited with her husband and two daughters -- Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18 -- for the first time since she returned to Japan in October 2002.

Jenkins is said to have crossed the border in 1965 while serving in the U.S. Army near the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea.

Lawmakers welcome Soga family reunion

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo - Lawmakers on Friday welcomed the reunion the same day between repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga and her family in Jakarta but had different views on the possible impact of the reunion on Sunday's House of Councillors' election.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's ruling coalition praised the premier's efforts to realize the family reunion, while the opposition camp played down the possibility that it will benefit Koizumi in the election.

Mikio Aoki, who heads the upper house caucus of Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party, praised him for achieving the reunion between Soga, her husband Charles Jenkins and their two daughters for the first time in 21 months, saying it was ''a step forward.'' He was speaking at a gathering in Nagasaki Prefecture.

New Komeito party leader Takenori Kanzaki said in a statement ''It is obvious'' the reunion was realized as a result of Koizumi's visit to North Korea in May for a summit with its leader Kim Jong Il. Kim agreed with Koizumi to let Soga's kin leave North Korea during their talks in Pyongyang.

LDP Secretary General Shinzo Abe said during a campaign speech in Yamagata Prefecture ''We will do our utmost'' so that Soga's family can live together in Japan in the future.

Abe was referring to concerns over whether the family can live permanently together in Japan, as wished for by Soga, because Jenkins, a listed U.S. Army deserter, has refused to come to Japan for fear of being extradited to the United States for a court-martial.

Katsuya Okada, who heads the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, also welcomed the family's reunion at a press conference in Nagasaki and called on the government to boost dialogue with the United States to allay Jenkins' concerns.

But Okada played down any possibility that the reunion would have a negative effect on his party in Sunday's election.

Some pundits have speculated that Koizumi sought to arrange the reunion ahead of the election to boost support for his Cabinet and the ruling coalition parties.

Most pre-election polls indicate the LDP and DPJ are running neck to neck.

Okada said voters are watching the reunion on television ''in a cool-headed manner'' and the public's feelings ''will not be directly linked'' to the result of the upper house election.

Soga who was abducted by North Korea in 1978 returned to Japan in October 2002 but left her kin behind.

Jenkins need not return to N. Korea, Pyongyang tells Tokyo

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo - Pyongyang has told Tokyo that Japan need not send Charles Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, and their two daughters back to North Korea after their reunion in Jakarta, sources close to Japan-North Korea relations said Friday.

The North Korean government has apparently responded to Japan's request and Soga's wish that all the family be able to live together in Japan, the sources said, adding that Pyongyang may also be hoping that the stance will help pave the way for the resumption of official talks with Tokyo for normalization of bilateral relations.

However, it is not yet known if North Korea's intention has been communicated to Jenkins, the sources said.

Japanese government officials are concerned that Jenkins may say he wants to go back to North Korea after the reunion with his Japanese wife in Jakarta.

Jenkins and their two daughters, Mika and Belinda, were flown to the Indonesian capital from Pyongyang, where they live, on a plane chartered by the Japanese government.

However, the officials are hoping that Jenkins will not return to North Korea once he is informed of the Pyongyang government's intention, the sources said.

One Japanese government official said Jenkins' departure from the North was ''effectively deportation'' and the official expressed a belief that Jenkins will not return to North Korea.

The reunion of Jenkins, Soga and their daughters has been arranged in Indonesia, which does not have any extradition treaty with the United States.

Jenkins, who Washington says deserted in South Korea from the U.S. Army to go to North Korea in 1965, has refused to come to Japan. Tokyo has an extradition pact with the United States.

Tokyo intends to step up consultations with the United States over the fate of Jenkins, hoping that arrangements will be made with Washington that would allow the entire family to live in Japan.

In his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on May 22, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was quoted as saying that humane consideration must be made about the situation of Soga and other Japanese citizens who had been abducted by North Korean agents.

Kim also said those who want to leave North Korea may do so and he would respect the wishes of Jenkins.

Soga and four other Japanese abductees -- two couples -- returned to Japan in October 2002 after a historic first meeting between Koizumi and Kim the previous month. Pyongyang at that time said the five Japanese, who left their families in the North, were supposed to return to Japan after a short-term stay.

While Soga was reunited Friday in Jakarta with her family members for the first time in 21 months, the two other couples' North Korean-born children came to Japan on May 22 after Koizumi's second meeting with Kim.

Soga reunited with husband, 2 daughters from Pyongyang

JAKARTA, July 9, Kyodo - (EDS: CHANGING DATELINE, UPDATING WITH ARRIVAL, REUNION)

Repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga was reunited with her American husband Charles Jenkins and their two North Korean-born daughters Friday evening for the first time in 21 months, after the three arrived in Jakarta from Pyongyang on a Japanese government-chartered plane.

Their long-awaited reunion took place amid lingering concerns over whether the family can live permanently together in Japan, as wished for by Soga, because Jenkins, a listed U.S. Army deserter, has refused to go to Japan for fear of being extradited to the United States.

Soga, 45, greeted Jenkins, 64, and their daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, at Sukarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta around 5:10 p.m. The family has been separated since Soga, who was abducted to North Korea in 1978, returned to Japan in 2002, leaving Jenkins and the daughters behind in North Korea.

Soga, who arrived in Jakarta from Tokyo a day earlier, wants to persuade her husband and daughters to live with her in Japan, but Jenkins fears he could be extradited to the United States for a court-martial under a bilateral treaty.

She has repeatedly said she eventually wants to live in Japan with her husband and daughters.

It remains unclear how long the family will stay in Indonesia before reaching a consensus on where they can live permanently.

Jenkins, who Washington says deserted the U.S. Army for the North in 1965, rejected an invitation by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to come to Japan when they met in Pyongyang in May on the sidelines of a summit between the premier and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia mainly because it has no extradition treaty with the United States. Indonesia also has a historically close relationship with North Korea.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda hinted Friday it would not be an easy job to talk the three into coming to Japan.

The Japanese government has sounded out the United States about the possibility of its taking measures to allay Jenkins' concerns, including a decision to refrain from charging him.

''But the answer we have received was severe,'' Hosoda said at a news conference.

Hosoda also voiced hope that progress would be made on the issue when the Japanese government has the opportunity to understand Jenkins' position more clearly in Indonesia.

As for how long the family will stay in Jakarta, where they are being accommodated in a suite at a luxury hotel in downtown Jakarta, Hosoda said it was up to them.

Expressing hope for the reunion's success, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin said if the family wishes to live permanently in Indonesia, the government would consider such a request.

''For now, the most important thing is for us to facilitate the reunion. We haven't had any request beyond that,'' Thamrin said in an interview with Jakarta-based Metro TV network.

The chartered All Nippon Airways Boeing 767, which landed in Jakarta around 5 p.m., had traveled from Tokyo to Pyongyang earlier in the day to pick up Jenkins and the daughters.

Japanese officials, including Akitaka Saiki, deputy director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and three North Korean officials accompanied them to Jakarta.

In a move that surprised the Japanese government, the North's state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Station delivered a live broadcast of Saiki meeting Song Il Ho, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, shortly after the Japanese diplomats' arrival in Pyongyang in the morning.

The broadcast was carried by TV Asahi in Japan and dominated the evening headlines of major Japanese newspapers.

The live broadcast also showed Jenkins and his daughters, all wearing North Korean flag pins, going through departure procedures at the airport. When waiting to board the plane, Jenkins smoked a Marlboro cigarette, which is considered a luxury item in the North.

A Japanese government team, including officials from the Cabinet Secretariat office supporting abduction victims and their families, the National Police Agency, and the Foreign Ministry, has been in Jakarta this week preparing for the reunion.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 with four other Japanese abducted by the North in 1978. The five left members of their families behind in North Korea.

The four other abductees -- two couples -- were reunited with their North Korea-born sons and daughters in Japan in May.

Jenkins, 2 daughters leave Pyongyang to meet with Soga in Jakarta

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo - (EDS: UPDATING WITH DEPARTURE, REPORTED REMARKS BY SOGA, MORE INFO)

Charles Jenkins, whose wife is repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, and the couple's two daughters left Pyongyang to reunite with Soga in Jakarta for the first time since 2002.

Jenkins, 64, and the couple's North Korean-born daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, left Pyongyang airport at 11:17 a.m. on a Japanese government-chartered plane.

Their plane, an All Nippon Airways Boeing 767 that traveled from Tokyo to Pyongyang earlier in the day, is expected to arrive in Jakarta around 5 p.m. local time. Japanese and North Korean officials are accompanying Jenkins and his daughters on the plane.

The Japanese government was told three North Korean officials accompanied Jenkins and his daughters, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said during a news conference in Tokyo.

Akitaka Saiki, deputy director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, is among several Japanese officials who went to Pyongyang to pick the three up.

Saiki met Song Il Ho, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, shortly after the Japanese diplomats' arrival at the airport to pick up Jenkins and his daughters, a live broadcast by Korean Central Broadcasting Station showed. The broadcast was carried by TV Asahi in Japan.

''We'll do our utmost'' so that Soga's family will have a good time in Jakarta, Saiki told Song. ''You may feel at ease,'' he said, according to TV Asahi.

The live broadcast also showed Jenkins and his daughters going through departure procedures at the airport.

Takashima, who serves as press secretary, said the detailed live coverage from the secluded country surprised the Japanese government.

Meanwhile in Jakarta, a Japanese official said Soga was delighted to see televised images of her husband and daughters at the airport.

''My husband seemed to be in better shape than I expected,'' Soga, who arrived in the Indonesian capital Thursday to await her family, was quoted as saying.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia because Jenkins, who is listed as a U.S. Army deserter, has refused to go to Japan for fear he could be extradited for court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda indicated Friday he was pleased about the safe departure of Jenkins and his daughters for Jakarta but hinted it would not be an easy job to talk them into coming to Japan.

The Japanese government has sounded out the United States about the possibility of its taking measures to allay Jenkins' concerns, including a decision to refrain from charging him.

''But the answer we have received was severe,'' Hosoda said at a news conference.

Hosoda said the length of the family's stay in Jakarta is up to them. The family will stay in a suite in a luxury hotel in downtown Jakarta.

A Japanese government team, including officials from the Cabinet Secretariat office supporting abduction victims and their families, the National Police Agency, and the Foreign Ministry, has been in Jakarta this week preparing for the reunion.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 with four other Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in 1978. The five left members of their families behind in North Korea.

The four other abductees -- two couples -- were reunited with their North Korea-born children in Japan in May.

Soga has said she eventually wants to live in Japan with her husband and daughters.

Japan-chartered plane leaves Tokyo to pick up Soga family

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo -

(EDS: UPDATING WITH DEPARTURE OF JAPAN GOV'T-CHARTERED PLANE FROM TOKYO FOR PYONGYANG)

A Japanese government-chartered plane took off from Tokyo's Haneda airport Friday morning for Pyongyang to pick up the American husband and two daughters of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga for a family reunion in Jakarta.

Akitaka Saiki, deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and several other Japanese officials are aboard All Nippon Airways' Boeing 767 plane.

The airliner will leave Pyongyang in the morning, carrying her husband Charles Jenkins, 64, and their North Korean-born daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18. Two to three North Korean officials are expected to accompany Jenkins and his daughters.

Soga will await her family's arrival in Jakarta around 7 p.m. She arrived in the Indonesian capital Thursday to be reunited with her family for the first time in 21 months.

Soga and her family will be staying in a suite in a luxury hotel in downtown Jakarta.

A Japanese government team, including officials from the Cabinet Secretariat office supporting abduction victims and their families, the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry, has been in Jakarta this week preparing for the reunion.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia because Jenkins, who is listed as a U.S. Army deserter, has refused to go to Japan for fear he could be extradited for a court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 with four other Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in 1978, leaving their family members in North Korea behind.

Soga says she eventually wants to live in Japan with her husband and daughters.

Soga's husband, daughters to leave for reunion in Jakarta

TOKYO, July 9, Kyodo - The husband and two daughters of repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga will leave Pyongyang on Friday morning for a much-awaited reunion in Jakarta. A Japanese government-chartered plane will leave Tokyo's Haneda airport around 6:30 a.m., carrying Akitaka Saiki, deputy chief of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and several other Japanese officials to pick up Soga's American husband and their two daughters in Pyongyang.

The plane will leave Pyongyang in the morning, carrying her husband Charles Jenkins, 64, and their North Korean-born daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18. Two to three North Korean officials are expected to accompany Jenkins and his daughters.

Soga will await her family's arrival in Jakarta around 7 p.m. She arrived in the Indonesian capital on Thursday to be reunited with her family, who live in North Korea, for the first time in 21 months.

Soga and her family will be staying in a suite in a luxury hotel in downtown Jakarta.

A Japanese government team, including officials from the Cabinet Secretariat office supporting abduction victims and their families, the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry, has been in Jakarta this week preparing for the reunion.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia because Jenkins, who Washington says is a U.S. Army deserter, has refused to go to Japan for fear he could be extradited for a court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 with four other Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in 1978, leaving their family members in North Korea behind.

Soga told a press conference Tuesday in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, that she eventually wants to live in Japan with her husband and daughters.

Soga arrives in Jakarta to meet husband, daughters

JAKARTA - Repatriated Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga arrived in Jakarta on Thursday to be reunited the following day with her husband and daughters, who live in North Korea, for the first time in 21 months.

Soga, 45, landed at Sukarno-Hatta airport aboard a commercial flight from Japan, accompanied by Kyoko Nakayama, adviser to the Cabinet Secretariat on the North Korean abduction issue, and members of a Japanese government office supporting abduction victims and their families.

As she left a Tokyo hotel for Narita airport in the morning, Soga told reporters she had been able to sleep well.

In the Indonesian capital, Soga will await the arrival Friday of her American husband Charles Jenkins, 64, and their North Korean-born daughters Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, who are to fly from Pyongyang on a Japanese government-chartered plane.

Jenkins and the daughters will be escorted by Japanese officials, including Akitaka Saiki, deputy chief of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. Several North Korean officials are also expected to accompany them.

The reunion was arranged to take place in Indonesia because Jenkins, listed by Washington as a U.S. Army deserter, has refused to go to Japan for fear he could be extradited for a court-martial under an extradition treaty between Japan and the United States.

Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Soga returned to Japan in October 2002 with four other Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in 1978, leaving their family members in North Korea behind.

The four other abductees -- two couples -- were reunited with their North Korea-born children in Japan in May when Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi brought them back when he returned from a day trip to Pyongyang.

On Wednesday in Tokyo, Soga met Koizumi, who told her to enjoy her time with her family and said he hopes the reunion will be the first step toward the four of them living together in Japan.

Soga said at a press conference Tuesday in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, that she eventually wants to live in Japan with her husband and daughters.

A Japanese government team, including officials from the Cabinet Secretariat office supporting abduction victims and their families, the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry, has been in Jakarta this week preparing for the reunion.

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