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North Korean abductions of Japanese

North Korea pursued a policy of abduction of Japanese students during the 1970s and 1980s.

Although only fifteen are officially recognized by the Japanese government, there may have been as many as 70 Japanese abducted. Eleven Japanese disappeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Japan and Europe. They were abducted to teach the Japanese language and culture at North Korean spy schools. Older persons were also abducted to obtain their persona and these abductees were believed to be killed quickly. These abductions were long denied by North Korea and were often considered a conspiracy theory particularly among the left of Japanese politics.

Most of the missing were in their 20s although the youngest, Megumi Yokota, was just 13 when she disappeared in November, 1977 from the Japanese west coast city of Niigata. She was among those said to have died.

In September, 2002 North Korean leader Kim Jong-il finally admitted the kidnappings to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and allowed five of the abductees to return to Japan. The others are said to have died, mostly of natural causes or due to medical problems. Most of their families, however, were being held in North Korea as North Korea alleged that Japan had "broken" the Pyongyang agreement by not returning them to North Korea. The Pyongyang agreement states that "The abductee situation will be resolved completely" without a clear definition of what a resolution would entail. North Korea demanded that the abductees return to North Korea and confer with their families to decide where they want to live, while Japan demanded unconditional return of all families not limited to those currently claimed to be alive by North Korea.

In May 2004, five children belonging to abductees were allowed to be reunited with their parents in Japan. Two more followed in July.

In November 2004, North Korea returned two human remains, stating that these are the remains of Megumi Yokota and Kaoru Matsuki, who died in North Korea after being abducted. However, subsequent DNA testing determined that these remains are not Megumi Yokota nor Kaoru Matsuki. This mistake - intentional or not - put further pressure on the relations between Japan and North Korea.

In an interview with police, Yasushi Chimura and Kaoru Haisuke identified two of their abductors as Shin Kwang-su (known also as Sin Gwang-Su) and a man known as "Pak". The National Police Agency has requested the arrest of Shin Kwang Su and Choi Sung Chol over the kidnapping of Japanese nationals. Shin reportedly told police in South Korea that he had been personally ordered by Kim Jong-il to carry out abductions.[1]

Incomplete list of abductee victims

  1. Yutaka Kume, male, born around 1925 disappeared in September 1977 from Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture. North Korea denies any involvement in the disappearance of Yutaka Kume.
  2. Megumi Yokota, female, born October 15, 1964, disappeared November 15, 1977 from Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, allegedly died March 13, 1993 in North Korea.
  3. Yasushi Chimura, male, born June 4, 1955, disappeared in 1978 together with his fiancée Fukie Hamamoto, alive
  4. Fukie Hamamoto, female, born June 8, 1955, disappeared in 1978 together with her fiancé Yasushi Chimura, alive
  5. Yaeko Taguchi, female, born August 10, 1955, disappeared June, 1978 from Tokyo, Japan, died July 30, 1986 in North Korea.
  6. Rumiko Masumoto, female, born November 1, 1954, disappeared August 12, 1978 from Fukiage Kagoshima Prefecture, together with her boyfriend Shuichi Ichikawa, died August 17, 1981 in North Korea.
  7. Shuichi Ichikawa, male, born October 20, 1954, disappeared August 12, 1978 from Fukiage Kagoshima Prefecture, together with his girlfriend Rumiko Masumoto, died September 4, 1979 in North Korea.
  8. Hitomi Soga, female, born May 17, 1959 disappeared together with her mother Miyoshi Soga on August 1978 from Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture. She married Charles Robert Jenkins, a deserter from the US Army, in 1980, and returned to Japan with him in 2004.
  9. Miyoshi Soga, female, born ca. 1932, disappeared together with her daughter Hitomi Soga on August 1978 from Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture. Her current status is unknown.
  10. Tadaaki Hara, male, born August 10, 1936, disappeared June, 1980 from Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, died July 19, 1986 in North Korea.
  11. Toru Ishioka, male, born June 29, 1957, disappeared May, 1980 from Madrid, Spain during a trip in Europe, died November 4, 1988 in North Korea.
  12. Kaoru Matsuki, born June 23, 1953, disappeared May, 1980 from Madrid, Spain during a trip in Europe, died August 23, 1996 in North Korea.
  13. Keiko Arimoto, female, born January 12, 1960, disappeared June, 1983 from London, United Kingdom while studying English abroad, died November 4, 1988 in North Korea.
  14. Kaoru Hasuike, male, born September 29, 1957, disappeared with his girlfriend Yukiko Okudo, alive
  15. Yukiko Okudo, female, born April 15, 1956, disappeared with her boyfriend Kaoru Hasuike, alive
  16. Tadaaki Hara, disappeared in 1980

See also

External links