On the 13th, the U.S. State Department's special envoy for human rights issues in North Korea visited the Niigata city site where Megumi Yokota was abducted, and the U.S. government appealed to the international community about North Korea's human rights violations in order to resolve the abduction issue. At the same time, he expressed his intention to continue supporting Japan.
Julie Turner, the U.S. State Department's special envoy for human rights issues in North Korea, visited Niigata City on the afternoon of the 13th and visited the site and surrounding area where Megumi Yokota, then a junior high school student, was abducted on November 15, 1977. I inspected it.
Megumi is believed to have been abducted by North Korea on her way home from the school she was attending at the time after club activities, and Special Envoy Turner walked the route home while receiving explanations from Niigata Prefectural Police personnel and others. .
Afterwards, he met with Deputy Governor Kasadori at the Niigata Prefectural Office and said, ``The person himself and his family are elderly, and there is no time for any delay.'' I ask that you use this visit as an opportunity to make even more efforts to resolve the abduction issue. In response, Special Envoy Turner said, ``Abductions are an issue of terrible human rights violations.The U.S. government will definitely shine a spotlight on North Korea's human rights violations, including abductions.'' .
After the meeting, Special Envoy Turner told the press, ``I came to Japan to convey that America's support to the Japanese government is unwavering.''This visit to the site shows that the abduction issue is being treated as a priority issue.'' "I have renewed my determination to continue working towards the resolution of the abduction issue," he said, indicating that the U.S. government will appeal to the international community about North Korea's human rights violations and continue to provide support to Japan.