(REUTERS) - North Korea has handed Japan names of at least 10 Japanese nationals who are said to be living in that country, including those believed to have been abducted by Pyongyang agents, the Nikkei reported.

Japan is expected to decide on Thursday whether to ease sanctions against North Korea after assessing Pyongyang's plan to reinvestigate the fate of the Japanese citizens kidnapped by the reclusive state decades ago, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.

Senior-level officials from the two countries met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss details of North Korea's pledge, the Nikkei said.

While Tokyo will analyse the list to see if any names match those of reported abductees, Pyongyang is expected use the list to confirm their whereabouts, the daily said.

The list, which is in Korean, includes names and personal histories, according to Japanese government officials involved in the talks, Nikkei added.