Abductee families seek US support

May 5, 2018

Washington- Family members of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea decades ago called for US support on Friday for resolving the abduction issue ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

They made the request at a meeting in Washington with Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asian affairs at the US National Security Council.

The United States fully understands that all abduction victims must be brought back home, Pottinger said, adding that the US government will work on resolving the issue.

The abductee family members who met with Pottinger included Takuya Yokota, a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped to North Korea in 1977 at the age of 13, and Koichiro Iizuka, the eldest son of Yaeko Taguchi, who was abducted in 1978 when she was 22 years old.

They handed Pottinger their handwritten messages saying that "Return my beloved sister" and "I want to see my mother. Give her back." Takuya Yokota said that he wants the messages to be delivered to the North Korean regime if there are chances.

The day's meeting was joined by Katsunobu Kato, Japanese minister in charge of the abduction issue.

In New York on Thursday, the relatives of the Japanese abduction victims met with the bereaved family of Otto Warmbier, a US university student who was detained in Pyongyang in January 2016. Warmbier died in June 2017 at the age of 22, soon after he returned home after being released in a coma.

Noting that 40 years have passed since his sister was abducted, Takuya Yokota sought cooperation for resolving the abduction issue.

Cindy Warmbier, the mother of Otto, said North Korea had always claimed that her son was all right during his detention in North Korea. The mother said what North Korea says cannot be trusted.

At a symposium on human rights problems in North Korea that was held at the U.N. headquarters in New York later on Thursday, Iizuka said that the abduction issue is a human rights problem for the entire international community.

Otto's death should never be wasted, Cindy Warmbier said. Jiji Press