Abductee families call for Japan-North Korea summit

Jiji Press

18:12 JST, March 13, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea reiterated their call Sunday for an early summit of leaders from the two countries to get the abductees back home.

The Japanese government should use every available tool to press North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in person to resolve the issue of abductions, the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea and a support group said.

The association and the support group also called for cooperation from the United States and other countries to realize a Japan-North Korea summit.

“North Korea may misunderstand that it does not stand to benefit from a solution to the abduction issue,” Takuya Yokota, head of the association, said at a press conference after a joint meeting of the association and the support group in Tokyo.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida “should strongly send a message that if the issue is resolved, both Japan and North Korea will be able to paint a brighter future,” said Yokota, a brother of Japanese abductee Megumi.