Japan Prime Minister Ishiba pledges utmost efforts to resolve abduction issue

NHK

22-05-2025

Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has met with relatives of Japanese citizens who were abducted by North Korea. He pledged to make his utmost efforts to resolve the issue as soon as possible while gaining cooperation from the international community.
Members of the group of relatives visited the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday. They included Yokota Takuya, a brother of Yokota Megumi who was kidnapped in 1977 at the age of 13.
In the meeting with Ishiba, they pointed out that Megumi's mother, Yokota Sakie, is the only surviving parent of the victims. They also said they hope the government will make concrete diplomatic efforts in line with their wishes.
Ishiba said he prays for Mrs. Yokota's longevity, and vows that his government will make all-out efforts to bring her happiness while she is in good health.
Ishiba pointed out that the issue is related to sovereignty, and said Japan itself must resolve it in the end. He added that it is important to gain greater understanding of the issue from the world.
The Japanese government has so far recognized 17 citizens as having been abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Five returned home following a bilateral summit in 2002, but the other 12 are still unaccounted for.
The meeting of the relatives and Ishiba comes after group members, including Yokota Takuya, recently visited the United States. They met with senior government officials and Congress members and asked them for their cooperation.