Prime Minister Kishida met with the families of the victims of the abduction by North Korea for the first time after taking office, and said that the abduction issue was the most important issue in his own cabinet, and he will do his utmost to resolve it without missing any chances. I conveyed my determination.
On the evening of the 18th, Prime Minister Kishida met with Shigeo Iizuka and Sakie Yokota, the representatives of the family association of the abductees, for the first time after taking office at the Prime Minister's Office.
In this, Prime Minister Kishida said, "Many abductees are still left behind in North Korea, and I have to apologize again. The abduction issue remains the most important issue in my cabinet. ".
After taking office, he explained that he held telephone talks with President Biden of the United States and President Xi Jinping of China and asked for cooperation in resolving the abduction issue.
He added, "I am determined to face Kim Jung-eun directly without any conditions to realize the return of all victims as soon as possible. I have to take every opportunity in cooperation with the countries concerned. "Don't do it," he said, expressing his determination to work hard to resolve the issue.
In response, Mr. Iizuka said, "Since I started the activity, the Prime Minister has changed countless times, but I am very sorry that I have not seen any movement. We cannot give up. With the help of other countries , I want you to make a concrete process chart. "
In addition, Mr. Yokota said, "I want you to clearly show Japan's strong stance and work hard toward a solution. We are in a state where we do not know how far we can go, so I would be grateful if you could give us joy while you are fine." I did.
Family of abductees seeking specific efforts
The families of the victims of the abduction by North Korea held a press conference after meeting with Prime Minister Kishida, and revealed that they requested concrete efforts to return to Japan as soon as possible.
Among them, Shigeo Iizuka (83), the representative of the family association and brother of Yaeko Taguchi, said, "Not only do we say'to tackle the abduction issue', but we also have a concrete plan of what to do by when. I can't give up, so I want to fight. "
Megumi Yokota's mother, Sakie Yokota (85), said, "We have been in a state of not knowing anything about the truth for so many years. Prime Minister Kishida has a concrete conviction that we are. I asked him to hold a Japan-North Korea summit meeting to convey his thoughts on Japan so that he could walk with hope. "