When Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi engages in his historic summit in Pyongyang next Tuesday, he will have two major goals: learning the fate of the Japanese believed to have been abducted to North Korea, and setting the stage for the resumption of security dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington.

Koizumi has said his intention in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Il -- the first summit between the two countries' leaders -- will be to see if conditions are ripe for resuming talks on normalizing diplomatic relations that have been halted since October 2000.

Government officials hope North Korea, in dire economic straits and in fear of U.S. military action after President George W. Bush branded the country part of an "axis of evil," will concede major points of contention.