Japan: North Korean Abduction Issue a Challenge for the International Community

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary and Minister responsible for the Abduction Issue, Kihara Minoru, stated that the abduction of Japanese and other nationals by North Korea is a shared challenge for the international community. “I want to reiterate that this abduction issue is not just a problem for Japan, but a shared challenge for the international community,” Kihara said during a United Nations online symposium on the abduction issue, monitored from Jakarta on Wednesday (24/6). At the UN symposium, co-hosted by Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea, and the European Union, Kihara said the North Korean abduction issue remains ongoing because the victims continue to be deprived of their freedom and have not been able to return home to this day. Of the 17 Japanese nationals identified by the Japanese Government as victims of abduction by North Korea, only five have returned to Japan. Additionally, there are many other missing persons whose possible abduction cannot be ruled out, he said. “Because both the victims and their family members are getting older, there is no time to waste in resolving this abduction issue,” he stated. Among the victims from Japan are young people who were abducted while studying abroad. One of them is Matsuki Kaoru, who was living in Spain at the time. Matsuki is from Kumamoto, and the Japanese Government has been working with her family to bring her back to Japan since before Kihara became a member of parliament. Furthermore, Kihara also pointed to a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, which stated that besides Japan, abduction victims also came from 10 other countries. Given the shared challenges facing the international community, Kihara stressed the increasing importance of cooperation between countries to overcome these challenges. “The abduction issue is one of the issues that must be addressed by the international community together,” he said. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also raised the abduction issue in her meetings with the leaders of the respective countries chairing today’s symposium, as well as at the G7 summit held last week.