North Korean's embassy here today dismissed claims it had abducted four Malaysian women missing since 1978, saying the allegations were merely propaganda.

The political counsellor to the North Korean embassy, Paek Hyon-Chol, said the charges by US army deserter Charles Jenkins, who lived in North Korea for four decades, were false.

"They deny it all because it is all incorrect reports," Paek told AFP of the North Korean government's initial reaction to the claims.

He said Pyongyang had "embraced" Jenkins when he crossed over from South Korea in 1965 and asked for political asylum, but that he had embarked on a campaign to denigrate North Korea since moving to Japan last year.

"He is a betrayer to North Korea," he said. "In the context of criticising and the slandering of our country, maybe he has provided this incorrect news of the four Malaysian missing women."

The four Malaysians, together with a Singaporean women, were last seen in 1978 boarding a cargo ship off Singaporean waters accompanied by three men.

Jenkins recently told Japanese reporter Hideki Akiyama that he met one of the Malaysians, Ying Ying Tai, several times in Pyongyang some 25 years ago.

The other three women who went missing with Tai are Yap Mei Leng, Si Toh Tai Thim and Margaret Ong Guat Choo, who were all aged between 19 and 22 years at the time of their disappearance.

Other citizens kidnapped

Jenkins, who currently lives in Japan with his family, wrote a book detailing his ordeal in North Korea and memories of his time there including meeting his Japanese wife who was abducted by agents of the Stalinist regime.

He said that North Korea, which he left last year, had kidnapped citizens from Romania, Thailand and other countries.

The women apparently joined a number of Japanese kidnapped during the Cold War to train spies in their language and culture.

But Paek said Jenkins was being used to smear North Korea.

"Our enemy forces in Japan are now using Jenkins for propaganda and slandering our country," he said.

A Malaysian politician who has been assisting the women's families has said they would seek help from North Korean authorities, via the Malaysian foreign ministry, to get to the bottom of the case.

Paek said the North Korean embassy had not yet received any official contacts from the foreign ministry.