Japanese Abductees Frustrated 20 Years After Coming Home
Alarm about the lack of progress in returning some Japanese abductees from North Korea is rising 20 years after five of them made it home.
At least 12 Japanese nationals taken by North Korea have yet to come home.
The five who returned in 2002 did so following a Tokyo-Pyongyang summit. North Korea's then-leader Kim Jong Il had admitted to the abductions.
The returnees have been striving to rebuild their lives but say they feel a deep sense of frustration about other abductees not getting the chance to return.
Hasuike Kaoru and his wife Yukiko are among those who came home from North Korea. He is touring the country to ask the public to help resolve the abduction issue.
Hasuike Kaoru said it has made an impression on him that some abductees have not returned home yet. He added that this fact is hitting him harder over the years.
Other returnee, Soga Hitomi, revealed her disappointment in a talk last month. Her mother, Miyoshi, was abducted with her but remains unaccounted for.
Soga Hitomi said that every winter, she wonders whether her mother has been able to survive the cold and if she is able to eat properly. She added that her heart is aching every day.
It has been 45 years since the first abduction occurred. Some of the abductees' relatives have passed away in recent years without being reunited with their loved ones.
Other returnees are also longing for the quick return of all abductees.
Chimura Yasushi said the remaining abductees must be rescued now. He added that once they get very old, it would be difficult to bring them back to Japan.