North Korea gave Japan the dates eight of its abducted nationals died, but the Foreign Ministry withheld the information from the next of kin until it was reported in a newspaper, government officials said Thursday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda confirmed that the government obtained the information just before Tuesday's landmark summit in Pyongyang between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Following the revelation, which was prompted by a media report Thursday morning, the ministry conveyed the information to relatives of the deceased by telephone, the officials said.