Relatives of Japanese abductees speak at UN symposium | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea have addressed an online United Nations symposium. They called on the international community to work together to resolve the issue.

Thursday’s event was organized by Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea and the European Union. Participants included Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa, who also serves as minister in charge of the abductions issue.

Yokota Takuya, who heads a group of Japanese abductees’ families, addressed the event. His older sister Megumi was abducted in 1977 when she was 13 years old.

Yokota said there is a time limit to settling the issue because only two of the remaining Japanese abductees’ parents are still alive.

He said they are Megumi’s 88-year-old mother, Yokota Sakie, and Arimoto Akihiro, the 95-year-old father of another abductee, Arimoto Keiko.

He said his group is calling for reunions between the abductees and their relatives to take place in Japan while the two parents are still well.

Yokota added he wants countries to renew their solidarity so they do not ease sanctions against North Korea until the issue is resolved.

Iizuka Koichiro, whose mother Taguchi Yaeko was abducted when he was 1 year old, also spoke at the event.

He noted that issues concerning North Korea include not only abductions but also nuclear and missile development. He emphasized that the abductions issue must be tackled separately as lives are at stake.

Iizuka said he hopes for international cooperation so he can be reunited with his mother.

Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced last year that he wants to start high-level talks under his direct supervision with a view to holding a summit with North Korea. But there has been little tangible progress.

The Japanese government says at least 17 citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 80s. Five returned to Japan after a summit in 2002. But the other 12 remain unaccounted for.