Japan abductee kin say mention at US-NKorea talks not enough

TOKYO — Families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea urged President Donald Trump on Wednesday to do more than just bring up the issue during his expected talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their meeting at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday that he would “raise” the abductions issue — a top Japanese priority — in his meeting with Kim, expected to take place in May or June.

But Shigeo Iizuka, whose sister was abducted by North Korea about 40 years ago, said the families want real discussions on logistical issues regarding their loved ones’ return. Iizuka also urged Abe to push Trump hard on the issue.

“We want President Trump to not just raise the issue, but make sure to get (Kim’s) firm commitment to let the Japanese go home,” he said. “We have way passed patience for more investigations and paperwork repeated. ... We want (Trump) to discuss how North Korea should send home a fair number of Japanese abductees still in that country.”

Pyongyang has acknowledged abducting 13 Japanese, while Tokyo maintains North Korea abducted at least 17 in the 1970s and 1980s to train agents in Japanese language and culture to spy on South Korea. Five of them were allowed to return home for short visits in 2002 and have stayed since.

North Korea says eight others died and denies the remaining four entered its territory — results that the families and Japanese officials say cannot be trusted.

After decades of waiting with little progress, the aging families see North Korea’s recent diplomatic moves as a last chance to possibly see their loved ones while they are still alive.

Previously, they have welcomed any help and attention from the U.S. government, and Iizuka’s specific requests underscore the families’ desperate hopes.

During his two-day meeting with Trump in Florida, Abe also plans to discuss trade, while making sure the president does not leave Japan exposed to any North Korean missile threat that doesn’t affect America.

Japan has raised concerns that the U.S. might not press Kim to abandon his short- and medium-range missiles, which pose an immediate threat to Japan, as they discuss North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

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Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi

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