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Symposium on N. Korea's abductions

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks at a government-sponsored symposium on the issue in Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025. He called for the early return of abductees including his older sister Megumi, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks to over 60 junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 8, 2025, to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese abducted by North Korea, speaks to over 60 junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 8, 2025, to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of the abduction issue. His sister Megumi was abducted at age 13 in 1977.

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U.N. symposium on N. Korea's abductions

Takuya Yokota (R), head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago, and Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (C), take part in an online U.N. symposium on the abduction issue from Tokyo on June 26, 2025. Yokota's sister, Megumi, was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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U.N. symposium on N. Korea's abductions

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago, takes part in an online U.N. symposium on the abduction issue from Tokyo on June 26, 2025. Yokota's sister, Megumi, was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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U.N. symposium on abductions

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield virtually takes part in a U.N. symposium on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, held in Tokyo on June 27, 2024.

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U.N. symposium on abductions

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (L) attends a U.N. symposium on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, held virtually in Tokyo on June 27, 2024. Sitting next to him is Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese abductees and whose sister Megumi was abducted in 1977 at age 13.

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U.N. symposium on abductions

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi attends a U.N. symposium on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, held virtually in Tokyo on June 27, 2024.

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Junior high school "summit" on abductions by N. Korea

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a Japanese government-sponsored "summit" of junior high school students across Japan held in Tokyo on Aug. 10, 2023, to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of the abduction issue. Yokota is a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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Junior high school "summit" on abductions by N. Korea

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a Japanese government-sponsored "summit" of junior high school students across Japan held in Tokyo on Aug. 10, 2023, to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of the abduction issue. Yokota is a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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Junior high school "summit" on abductions by N. Korea

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno speaks during a government-sponsored "summit" of junior high school students across Japan held in Tokyo on Aug. 10, 2023, to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Junior high school "summit" on abductions by N. Korea

A Japanese government-sponsored "summit" of junior high school students across Japan is held in Tokyo on Aug. 10, 2023, in order to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Junior high school "summit" on abductions by N. Korea

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a Japanese government-sponsored "summit" of junior high school students across Japan held in Tokyo on Aug. 10, 2023, to enhance public awareness, especially among young people, of the abduction issue. Yokota is a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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Abe, abduction victim's kin

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) talks with Shigeru Yokota (L) and Sakie Yokota (R), during a gathering in Tokyo on Dec. 16, 2013, for the return of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea. The Yokotas' daughter, Megumi, was taken to North Korea in 1977 at age 13 and has become a symbol of the abductions issue.

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Roh intends to take up abductions of Japanese in Korea summit

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun (L) meets with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori at the presidential office in Seoul on Sept. 3. Roh told Mori that he intends to bring up the issue of abductions of Japanese by North Korean agents during his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang next month, according to the Japanese lawmaker's aides.

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Negroponte reaffirms support for Japan on N. Korea abductions

TOKYO, Japan - Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte (L) talks with Kyoko Nakayama (R), Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's special adviser in charge of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Aug. 3.

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Masumoto speaks at meeting to raise abduction awareness

KANOYA, Japan - Teruaki Masumoto, whose elder sister Rumiko was abducted to North Korea in 1978, speaks at an event in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan, on Nov. 20, 2014, to raise public awareness of the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea.

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Tailor shop owner gives quilt to abductee's mother

NIIGATA, Japan - Matsuko Shiraishi (R), a tailor shop owner in Himi, Toyama Prefecture, hands an ornamental quilt to Tetsuya Yokota, a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, a symbol in the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, in Niigata on Nov. 15, 2014, to cheer up Megumi's mother Sakie.

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U.S. ready to help Japan resolve N. Korean abduction issue

TOKYO, Japan - Eriko Yamatani (L), minister in charge of the issue of North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals, shakes hands with Robert King, U.S. special envoy for human rights issues, in Tokyo on Nov. 10, 2014. King said Washington stands ready to help Tokyo resolve the abduction issue.

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Mongolia ready to provide venue for Japan-N. Korea talks: president

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia - Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj speaks with reporters at his office in Ulan Bator on Sept. 18, 2014. Elbegdorj said his country is ready to offer a venue for talks between Japanese and North Korean officials whenever they wish to discuss a host of issues, including Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals. Mongolia maintains diplomatic ties with North Korea.

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Gathering on issue of abductions by N. Korea

AKITA, Japan - Midori Amanai, elder sister of Kahoru Kimura who went missing in 1960 in Akita at age 21, shows a quilt sent from supporters during a gathering to think about the issue of abductions by North Korea held in the northeastern Japanese city on Sept. 15, 2014. North Korea's involvement is suspected in the disappearance of Kimura.

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Japan abduction minister calls for N. Korea's response

GENEVA, Switzerland - Eriko Yamatani, Japan's state minister in charge of the abduction issue, says in her keynote speech at an international symposium at the U.N.'s European headquarters in Geneva on Sept. 10, 2014, that North Korea must take serious and concrete steps to solve its past abductions of Japanese nationals while holding a picture of Megumi Yokota, one of the Japanese abductees.

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N. Korea ready to give Japan new info on abductions

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for negotiations to normalize relations with Japan, gestures during an interview with Kyodo News in Pyongyang on Sept. 9, 2014. Song said North Korea is ready to provide to Japan at any time the initial findings of its special investigation team on the fates of abductees and other Japanese nationals, as the two countries have a tacit understanding for that to happen around mid-September.

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N. Korea ready to give Japan new info on abductions

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for negotiations to normalize relations with Japan, speaks in an interview with Kyodo News in Pyongyang on Sept. 9, 2014. Song said North Korea is ready to provide to Japan at any time the initial findings of its special investigation team on the fates of abductees and other Japanese nationals, as the two countries have a tacit understanding for that to happen around mid-September.

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Yasukuni Shrine on anniv. of end of WWII

TOKYO, Japan - Keiji Furuya, state minister in charge of the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, visits the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15, 2014, the 69th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The Yasukuni visit by three Cabinet ministers including him drew criticism from China and South Korea.

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Japan, N. Korea discuss details of new panel on abduction issue

BEIJING, China - Junichi Ihara, the head of Asian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, meets the press at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, China, on July 1, 2014, following a bilateral meeting with North Korea. Officials of the two countries discussed the specifics of Pyongyang's promised establishment of a new panel that will look into its abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Senior Japanese and North Korean officials hold talks at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014. Japan and North Korea discussed the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Junichi Ihara (2nd from L), the head of Asian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and Song Il Ho (3rd from R), the North Korean ambassador in charge of normalizing diplomatic ties with Tokyo, hold talks at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014. Japan and North Korea discussed the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Junichi Ihara (R), the head of Asian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and Song Il Ho (C), the North Korean ambassador in charge of normalizing diplomatic ties with Tokyo, head for their meeting at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014. Japan and North Korea discussed the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Junichi Ihara (R), the head of Asian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, shakes hands with Song Il Ho, the North Korean ambassador in charge of normalizing diplomatic ties with Tokyo, ahead of their talks at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014. Japan and North Korea discussed the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Junichi Ihara (R), the head of Asian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and Song Il Ho, the North Korean ambassador in charge of normalizing diplomatic ties with Tokyo, head for their meeting at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014. Japan and North Korea discussed the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Junichi Ihara (R), the head of Asian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and Song Il Ho, the North Korean ambassador in charge of normalizing diplomatic ties with Tokyo, head for their meeting at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014. Japan and North Korea discussed the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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Japan-N. Korea talks

BEIJING, China - Photo shows the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on July 1, 2014, ahead of a meeting there between senior Japanese and North Korean officials. Japan and North Korea discussed the same day the specifics of a major deal struck in May, under which Pyongyang promised to investigate its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida speaks with reporters at Tokyo's Haneda airport before leaving for Vietnam on June 29, 2014. Kishida said there is "no change to the schedule" of a planned meeting between Japan and North Korea in Beijing on July 1 over Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals, despite the North's firing of two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan earlier in the day.

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Japan determined to stay tough against N. Korea on abductions

TOKYO, Japan - Keiji Furuya, Japan's state minister in charge of the abduction issue, speaks during a parliamentary session on June 17, 2014, in Tokyo. Furuya reiterated his determination to bring home all of the Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, ahead of the upcoming launch of Pyongyang's abduction probe unit.

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Abe on North Korea abductions

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets reporters in Tokyo on May 29, 2014. He said North Korea has agreed to reinvestigate its past abductions of Japanese citizens.

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Abe on North Korea abductions

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets reporters in Tokyo on May 29, 2014. He said North Korea has agreed to reinvestigate its past abductions of Japanese citizens.

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Abe on North Korea abductions

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets reporters in Tokyo on May 29, 2014. He said North Korea has agreed to reinvestigate its past abductions of Japanese citizens.

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Abe on North Korea abductions

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets reporters in Tokyo on May 29, 2014. He said North Korea has agreed to reinvestigate its past abductions of Japanese citizens.

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Japan, N. Korea fail to reach accord on abduction issue

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan, speaks to reporters in Stockholm on May 28, 2014, after the end of three-day talks with Junichi Ihara, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Foreign Ministry. The two countries failed to reach agreement on the reinvestigation of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea but agreed to continue talks on the abductions and other issues of interest.

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Japan, N. Korea fail to reach accord on abduction issue

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan, speaks to reporters in Stockholm on May 28, 2014, after the end of three-day talks with Junichi Ihara, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Foreign Ministry. The two countries failed to reach agreement on the reinvestigation of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea but agreed to continue talks on the abductions and other issues of interest.

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Japan, N. Korea fail to reach accord on abduction issue

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Junichi Ihara (standing), director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Foreign Ministry, speaks to reporters in Stockholm on May 28, 2014, after the end of three-day talks with Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan. The two countries failed to reach agreement on the reinvestigation of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea but agreed to continue talks on the abductions and other issues of interest.

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Japan, N. Korea fail to reach accord on abduction issue

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Junichi Ihara, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Foreign Ministry, speaks to reporters in Stockholm on May 28, 2014, after the end of three-day talks with Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan. The two countries failed to reach agreement on the reinvestigation of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea but agreed to continue talks on the abductions and other issues of interest.

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Japan, N. Korea fail to reach accord on abduction issue

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Junichi Ihara, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Foreign Ministry, speaks to reporters in Stockholm on May 28, 2014, after the end of three-day talks with Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan. The two countries failed to reach agreement on the reinvestigation of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea but agreed to continue talks on the abductions and other issues of interest.

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State minister Furuya visits Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO, Japan - Keiji Furuya (R), state minister in charge of the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, arrives at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on April 20, 2014. Furuya's visit came ahead of the shrine's annual spring festival from April 21.

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State minister Furuya visits Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO, Japan - Keiji Furuya, state minister in charge of the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, leaves the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo after offering prayers on April 20, 2014. Furuya's visit came ahead of the shrine's annual spring festival from April 21.

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U.N. rep meets Japan minister on N. Korea's abductions

TOKYO, Japan - U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea Marzuki Darusman (R) meets with Keiji Furuya, Japan's minister in charge of the issue of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea, in Tokyo on April 9, 2014.

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Kin of N. Korea abduction victims meet Japan's FM

TOKYO, Japan - Shigeo Iizuka (L) hands a written statement to Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on March 4, 2014, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo on behalf of an international group seeking to resolve past abductions of Japanese and other foreign nationals by North Korea, including Iizuka's sister Yaeko Taguchi. (Pool photo)

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State minister visits Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO, Japan - Keiji Furuya, chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and state minister in charge of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, leaves the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Oct. 20, 2013, after offering prayers during its annual autumn festival.

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State minister visits Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO, Japan - Keiji Furuya (2nd from R), chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and state minister in charge of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, visits the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Oct. 20, 2013, to offer prayers during its annual autumn festival.