Maria Siow

My Take | Japan should reach out to North Korea and not just focus on abduction issue

Tokyo has demanded the return of its citizens abducted by North Korea over the decades but any breakthrough on the issue is unlikely

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Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, speaks about the issue in August. His sister Megumi (on the screen) was abducted by North Korea in 1977. Photo: Kyodo

Maria Siow

Published: 10:30am, 6 Dec 2024

Japan is unlikely to make any headway in its decades-long pursuit to bring home its citizens abducted by North Korea, even if it is a national priority, as Pyongyang is expected to sidestep the issue given its growing regional clout.

Last month, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called for the immediate safe return of all the abduction victims at a rally.

Ishiba said he “will take the lead in resolving this issue”, which has emerged as a major bone of contention between Japan and North Korea since Pyongyang admitted in 2002 to abducting Japanese nationals in previous years.

This insistence on putting the issue at the top of Japan’s agenda with North Korea is admirable given that more than two decades have passed since Pyongyang’s admission.

From 1977 to 1983, North Korea kidnapped at least 17 Japanese citizens from Japan – mainly to teach Japanese language and culture at North Korean spy schools. In 2002, then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il issued an apology to Japan and freed five abductees.

However, Tokyo said 12 of the abductees remained unaccounted for and maintained that some of them might still be alive.