A Japanese academic claims that North Korea is likely to accept Seoul's offer to hold an inter-Korean summit this year and declare joint efforts toward reunification at the summit.

Professor Toshimitsu Shigemura at Waseda University made the prediction in the recent edition of "Economist," a Japanese economic weekly.

The prominent Pyongyang watcher said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may undertake the groundbreaking move to counter emerging signs of cracks in the Communist regime, the country's chronic economic recession, Japan's move to impose economic sanctions, and the U.S. attempt to encourage defections.

Shigemura forecast that the communist state would surprise the international community with the 'unification declaration,' but quickly added that the declaration would not immediately lead to the unifying of the two Koreas. Instead, the professor said, such a declaration would blunt increasing calls for sanctions against Pyongyang in Japan, in particular.

Shigemura added that along with the reunification declaration, North Korea would reaffirm its commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, stalling any attempt to refer the North Korean nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council.

The Japanese professor said his projections have a high possibility of being realized as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party as well as the 60th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.