Asia-Pacific

Trump to Families of Abduction Victims: ‘We Will Do Everything within Our Power’

AP
U.S. President Donald Trump, second right, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, right, meet with families of Japanese abductees by North Korea at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:05 JST, October 28, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump, along with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, met with the families of Japanese nationals who were abducted by North Korea on Tuesday afternoon at the State Guest House in Tokyo.

Trump told them, “We always have this [the abduction issue] in mind” and promised to “do everything within our power” to resolve it.

Trump previously met with abductees’ families during visits to Japan in 2017 and 2019.

When asked if he would bring up the abduction issue if he was able to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump responded, “We’ll be discussing it.”

The families held a press conference following the meeting and said they had been told until the last minute that they would be meeting only with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Representative of the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, Takuya Yokota, 57, whose sister Megumi was abducted at the age of 13, said: “I believe the meeting with President Trump was probably realized due to the support of Prime Minister Takaichi. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.”