Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi apologized Friday for the ministry's failure to disclose information it received from North Korea regarding the dates of the deaths of eight abducted Japanese nationals.
"I am sorry," Kawaguchi said, referring to the fact that the information was withheld from the abductees' families.
Kawaguchi was addressing a meeting of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs called to discuss Tuesday's landmark summit in Pyongyang between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.