A group of families of abductees to North Korea and a group supporting them held a joint meeting in Tokyo on Sunday and adopted a policy of conditionally accepting the lifting of Japan’s sanctions against North Korea.
The groups agreed not to oppose the lifting of the sanctions if all remaining abductees return to Japan together while their relatives in their parents’ generation are alive.
They also agreed to demand stronger sanctions if the return of the abductees is not realized.
At a news conference after the meeting, Takuya Yokota, head of the family group, said the adoption of the policy was a “difficult decision” made to resolve humanitarian issues facing both Japan and North Korea. Yokota, 55, is a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped at the age of 13.
“There is a great sense of urgency as the clock is ticking for the families,” said Koichiro Iizuka, 47, secretary-general of the group and the first son of Yaeko Taguchi, who was taken to North Korea when she was 22.
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