Japan's prime minister says North Korea will reinvestigate cases of Japanese citizens abducted by the North in the 1970s and 80s.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's announcement today during a press conference in Tokyo followed talks between Japan and North Korea in Stockholm, Sweden.

North Korea will form a special investigative committee.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary said Japan would consider lifting some sanctions against the North as the investigation started.

North Korea admitted abducting 12 Japanese to train spies and returned five of them in 2002.

But Japan believes some of the victims who the North reported as dead are still alive, and that more of its citizens were abducted.