Japan to urge N. Korea to resolve abduction issue

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Japan to urge N. Korea to resolve abduction issue

The Japanese government says it will press North Korea to do all it can to resolve the issue of Japanese people abducted to that country.

The abductees' families are angry and dismayed after the US government began the procedure on Thursday to remove North Korea from its list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told reporters on Friday that he understands how the families feel now, but that keeping North Korea on the terrorist list is not the only means of resolving the abduction issue.

He said the United States has assured the Japanese government that it will continue to work with Japan in pressing North Korea to resolve the issue.

He added that Japan will use its own diplomatic cards and push North Korea to make the utmost efforts.

Machimura said the government will work very hard to do this, and sincerely respond to the concerns of the abductees' relatives.

North Korea recently promised to launch a new investigation into the abduction issue, reversing an earlier stance that the issue had been settled.

Machimura said the government will seek an early agreement with North Korea on how the new investigation should be carried out.

In September 2002, North Korea admitted to abducting 13 Japanese in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
5 of them returned to Japan in October 2002, 24 years after being abducted.

The Japanese government is not convinced by North Korea's account that 8 of the 13 died in the country and that another 4 people, listed by Japan as abductees, never entered North Korea.

2008/06/27 15:07

NHK WORLD English