Abstract. We considered the kaon absorption from atomic states into nucleus. We found that the nuclear density probed by the atomic kaon significantly depends on the kaon orbit. Then, we reexamined the meanings of the observed strengths of one-body and two-body kaon absorption, and investigated the effects to the formation spectra of kaon bound states by in-flight (K − , p) reactions. As a natural consequence, if the atomic kaon probes the smaller nuclear density, the ratio of the two-body absorption at nuclear center is larger than the observed value, and the depth of the imaginary potential is deeper even at smaller kaon energies as in kaonic nuclear states because of the large phase space for the two-body processes.PACS. 25.80.Nv Kaon-induced reactions -36.10.Gv Mesonic atoms and molecules, hyperonic atoms and molecules -13.75.Jz Kaon-baryon interactions