LEAD: Aso, Song agree on sea zone talks in June, discuss N. Korea refugees

JEJU, South Korea, June 3 Kyodo

(EDS: RECASTING WITH DETAILS OF MEETING)

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and his South Korean counterpart Song Min Soon agreed Sunday that officials from the two countries will hold talks on June 17-18 in Seoul aimed at demarcating their exclusive economic zones in the sea that lies between them to prevent future maritime conflicts, a Japanese official said.

The two ministers, meeting on South Korea's Jeju Island, also touched on the latest incident involving four people who entered Japanese waters on a boat Saturday. The four are believed to be refugees from North Korea wishing to go to South Korea.

Song inquired of Aso about recent media reports on the four people and Aso explained that the police and immigration authorities are currently questioning them and that Japan, based on the findings, will ''deal appropriately'' with the incident, the official said.

Their meeting, held on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting with their Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, also comes after Tokyo issued a protest Thursday to Seoul over a South Korean marine research vessel's activities in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The official downplayed this incident, saying, ''It was not taken up again during this foreign ministerial meeting as Japan had already issued a protest to the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo.''

Tokyo and Seoul have been facing disputes at sea involving overlapping EEZs. In April last year, they became embroiled in a dispute over conducting a marine survey in waters around a pair of South Korean-administered islets in the Sea of Japan.

Tensions were high because it involved the islets known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan. Japan and South Korea both claim sovereignty over the islets.

The two sides subsequently averted a confrontation via a vice ministerial meeting in Seoul where they reached a compromise in which Japan agreed to withdraw its plan to conduct the survey. Creating an advance notification system was then brought up as a means of resolving the standoff.

The EEZ talks in Tokyo will likely include discussions on an envisioned prior notification system when Japan and South Korea conduct marine surveys in overlapping areas.

''Every time we hold a foreign ministerial meeting, we discuss the importance of appropriately handling issues involving the oceans,'' Aso was quoted as telling Song, who also hoped the EEZ negotiations will produce ''substantial discussions.''

Beyond bilateral issues, Aso and Song agreed on the importance of North Korea's promptly taking initial steps toward denuclearization in line with a six-party accord, the official said.

Aso again urged South Korea to continue its support in resolving the issue of North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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