THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
May 30, 2022 at 17:10 JST
With Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in attendance, family members of Japanese abducted by North Korea pressed for their immediate return at a major rally in Tokyo on May 29.
Around 800 people attended the mass rally, which was organized by organizations including the association of abductees’ family members.
Takuya Yokota, head of the association and a younger brother of one of the abductees, Megumi Yokota, demanded their swift return.
“We expect strong leadership from the prime minster," Yokota said. "Not much time is left for the parents of the abductees.”
For his part, Kishida said, “As abductees and their family members are growing old, we should not waste any moment in solving the abduction issue,” before emphasizing that the government is committed to doing its utmost to bring them home.
Sakie Yokota, 86, mother of Megumi, who was 13 when she was abducted by North Korean agents in Niigata Prefecture in 1977, called for a meeting between Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
She demanded that the two have “a frank discussion soon,” to make progress in finding a solution to the issue.
At the end, Shigeru Yokota had photos of his beloved Megumi
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Sakie Yokota, mother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted to North Korea when she was 13 in 1977, speaks at an event in Tokyo on May 29 to call for the return of all abductees. (Ryuichi Kitano)
