Japan may not push ahead with legislation calling for sanctions on North Korea.

The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi would announce the suspension of the punitive legislations when he visits North Korea this weekend.

But the report said the suspension may be "conditional" on the North's returning families of former Japanese abductees and ceasing testing of its long-range missiles.

Japan's parliament has recently enacted revisions to the foreign exchange and trade law, allowing Tokyo to impose economic sanctions on North Korea. Also in the works is a bill that would ban port calls to Japan by North Korean ships.