TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi renewed her determination to resolve the long-standing abduction issue involving North Korea on May 30th, declaring her willingness to pursue a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as families of the victims gathered in Tokyo to demand the return of their loved ones.
Speaking at a national rally calling for the return of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, Takaichi emphasized that her administration would leave no option off the table in seeking a resolution.
"Starting with a summit meeting with General Secretary Kim Jong Un, I will exclude no possible option. I am determined to create a breakthrough during my time in office and resolve the abduction issue," Takaichi said.
Addressing participants at the gathering in Tokyo, the prime minister called on Kim to take what she described as a courageous step forward for the benefit of both nations and future generations.
"I want to take a courageous step together with Kim Jong Un for the people of both countries and for the young people who will shape the future," she said.
Takaichi also explained that she has been seeking support and cooperation from world leaders during bilateral meetings and international engagements in an effort to advance negotiations on the issue.
Meanwhile, Sakie Yokota, the mother of abductee Megumi Yokota, expressed growing concern that public awareness of the abduction issue could fade as time passes and the families age.
"There are families sinking deeper into sorrow, and as the years pass, everyone will eventually be gone. We must not allow this to become something people simply remember by saying, 'Oh yes, something like that happened once,'" said Yokota, who is now 90 years old.
Megumi Yokota was abducted by North Korean agents in 1977 at the age of 13 while walking home from school in Niigata Prefecture. Her case has become one of the most widely recognized symbols of the abduction issue in Japan.
Reflecting on her daughter's fate, Yokota said she continues to pray for her survival every day.
"All I pray for is that she is still alive. That is my daily prayer," she said.
The abduction issue remains one of the most sensitive unresolved matters in relations between Japan and North Korea. While several abductees were allowed to return to Japan in 2002, many victims remain unaccounted for, and their families have repeatedly urged the government to intensify efforts to secure their return.
Source: FNN
