Japanese newspaper Mainichi News quoted on the 27th an affiliate of the Japanese government that North Korea has conveyed its intent to the U.S., “There are still several [Japanese] abductees in the country and preparations are being made to repatriate them.”
The newspaper relayed that the list of individuals indicated by North Korea is found by the Japanese government as having excluded 13 previously identified abductees. In light of this, the Japanese government affiliate said that information regarding “new victims” had been relayed to the U.S. last fall.
The article states that the intentions conveyed to the U.S. by North Korea constitute “progress” in the Abductee Issue, and therefore the gesture is being seen as part of North Korea’s efforts to remove itself from the U.S.’s list of Terror Supporting Countries. However, it is hard to predict whether the abductees will actually be repatriated at this time.
The Japanese Government is demanding for the entire lot of surviving abductees to be repatriated immediately. Foreign Minister Komura Masahiko said in October of last year, “If North Korea repatriates all survivors to Japan, the issue will be resolved. Even if a few are returned, it would still constitute progress.”
Up until now, North Korea has maintained its claim that thirteen Japanese citizens have been abducted to North Korea since the 1970s and 80s. Of these, it claimed that eight have perished and the remaining five have returned to Japan.
The Japanese government also harbors suspicious regarding recent abductions. Of 470 people declared to have been abducted from Japan, it is strongly believed that as many as 36 victims may have been abducted by North Korea.
