North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens facts for kids
Abductions of Japanese citizens by agents from North Korea happened between 1977 and 1983. The Japanese government officially says 17 Japanese people (8 men and 9 women) were taken. However, some believe hundreds more might have been abducted. North Korea has admitted to taking 13 Japanese citizens.
People also say that many non-Japanese citizens, including some from Europe and the Middle East, were abducted by North Korea.
Contents
What Happened?
In the 1970s, many Japanese people disappeared from coastal areas in Japan. These were ordinary people who were taken by secret agents waiting for them. Even though North Korean agents were suspected, many people thought North Korea had nothing to do with the disappearances.
Most of the missing people were in their 20s. The youngest, Megumi Yokota, was only 13 when she disappeared in November 1977 from Niigata, a city on Japan's west coast.
Why Were People Abducted?
Some victims were taken to teach Japanese language and culture at secret North Korean schools. Older victims were also abducted so their identities could be stolen.
It is thought that some Japanese women were taken to become wives for a group of Japanese people living in North Korea. These Japanese people were involved in a plane hijacking in 1970. Some people might have been abducted because they saw North Korean agents doing secret activities in Japan. This could explain why Megumi Yokota was taken at such a young age.
For a long time, North Korea and its supporters, like Chongryon and the Japan Socialist Party, said these abductions never happened. Many people thought it was just a conspiracy theory (a belief that a secret plan is being made). Even with pressure from the victims' families, the Japanese government did not act for a while.
Some people claim that Japanese leaders, like former Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Shinzō Abe, used this issue to make Japan's military stronger. They also say it was used to change laws about the army and education. However, Kyoko Nakayama, a special adviser to the Japanese prime minister on this issue, disagreed. She said, "This is about rescuing our citizens... They deserve all possible support to regain their freedom and dignity. It is our duty to retrieve them."
Talks and Returns
On September 17, 2002, then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited North Korea. He met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. This meeting led to the Japan-North Korean Pyongyang Declaration.
During the meeting, North Korea said eight people had died and gave their death certificates. However, in 2004, North Korea admitted these certificates were made quickly just before the meeting. The Japanese government and other groups still question if those eight people are truly dead.
A Russian expert named Andrei Lankov said North Korea's admission was a mistake. What was meant to be an honest gesture made the Japanese government and public very angry. The accusations that were once thought to be just theories turned out to be true. Japan responded by trying to cut off trade and other connections with North Korea.
Coming Home
Later, North Korea allowed five victims, who they said were still alive, to return to Japan. The condition was that they would return to North Korea later. These victims were Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie, Kaoru Hasuike and his wife Yukiko, and Hitomi Soga. Their identities were confirmed by DNA, dental records, and fingerprints. They returned to Japan on October 15, 2002.
However, the Japanese government, listening to the public and the victims' families, told North Korea that the victims would not be returning. North Korea said this broke their agreement and stopped further talks.
Families Reunited
The three children of the Chimura family and the two children of the Hasuike family were born in North Korea. They were allowed to join their parents in Japan after Prime Minister Koizumi's second visit to Pyongyang on May 22, 2004. They arrived in Japan on July 18, 2004. Their parents and relatives said all five children wanted to stay in Japan and live as Japanese citizens.
Hitomi Soga was also able to reunite with her husband and children, but in a different way. Her husband, Charles Robert Jenkins, was an American soldier who went to North Korea. He met and married Soga there. Jenkins was worried about facing a military trial. So, he and their two daughters first met Soga in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 9, 2004. They all returned to Japan together on July 18.
Two months later, on September 11, 2004, Jenkins went to an army base in Japan. He was found guilty of leaving his post and helping the enemy. He received a light sentence and was removed from the army. Charles then lived on Sado Island in Japan with his family until he passed away in 2017.
More Investigations
In November 2004, North Korea sent back the ashes of two people. They said these were the remains of Megumi Yokota and Kaoru Matsuki, who they claimed had died after being abducted. However, DNA tests in Japan showed that the remains did not belong to either of them.
An independent science magazine, Nature, later published an article that questioned the DNA testing. This testing was done by a junior staff member at Teikyo University who had no experience with cremated remains. This mistake, whether on purpose or not, made relations between Japan and North Korea even worse.
In interviews with Japanese police, Yasushi Chimura and Kaoru Hasuike, two of the abductees who returned in 2002, named two of their abductors. They identified Sin Gwang-su and a man known as "Pak." The National Police Agency has asked for the arrest of Sin Gwang-su and Choi Sung-chol for these abductions. Sin reportedly told police in South Korea that Kim Jong-il himself ordered him to carry out abductions.
In March 2006, police in Osaka searched six places, including the North Korean Chamber of Commerce. This was part of an investigation into the disappearance of Tadaaki Hara in June 1980. All six places were connected to Chongryon, a group in Japan that supports North Korea. A police spokesperson said the head of Chongryon at that time was suspected of helping in Hara's abduction.
What's Happening Now?
The North Korean government still says there were only 13 abductees and that the issue is solved since five victims returned. However, the Japanese government believes the issue is not resolved and that all evidence from North Korea is fake.
By May 2004, five abducted victims and their families (10 people in total) had returned from North Korea. But many other suspected victims are still missing. In December 2004, then Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said that if North Korea didn't act honestly and quickly, Japan might have to impose strict measures, like sanctions (penalties).
The group supporting the victims has also asked the United Nations (UN) for help. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a speech in Japan in February 2004, spoke about the issue. He showed sympathy for the victims and their families and hoped for a full solution. Later that year, the United States Congress passed a law called the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004. The victims' families and their supporters were thankful to the United States government and president.
In 2004, the Japanese parliament passed two laws to limit trade with North Korea. On November 2, 2005, the United Kingdom led 45 countries, including the United States and Japan, in proposing a statement condemning North Korea to the United Nations. On December 16, this proposal was passed by the UN General Assembly. 88 countries supported it, 21 opposed it, and 60 did not vote. China and Russia opposed it, and South Korea did not vote. The proposal criticized North Korea for "systematic humanitarian violations." It mentioned the abduction issue, the existence of prison camps, and the abuse of North Korean defectors sent back to North Korea.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice supported the abduction issue. On April 27, 2006, Sakie Yokota, mother of abductee Megumi Yokota, spoke to a U.S. House of Representatives committee about the abduction issue. The next day, Yokota met with US President George W. Bush. She asked for the United States' help. The President called the meeting "one of the most moving meetings" of his presidency and questioned North Korea's actions. On June 13, 2006, a bill calling for sanctions on North Korea was introduced in the Japanese parliament.
In October 2011, South Korean intelligence agencies reported they believed dozens of South Korean and Japanese abduction victims were moved to a place called Wonhwa-ri in South Pyongan Province. This group might have included Megumi Yokota, Yaeko Taguchi, and Tadaaki Hara.
After Kim Jong-il's death in December 2011, former abductee Kaoru Hasuike hoped the Japanese government would "carefully analyze the state of affairs in North Korea and do its best to secure the safety of abductees still left there." The abduction issue has become very important to Japan's policy toward North Korea. Japan has said it will only offer economic help if diplomatic relations are established, which depends on solving the abduction issue.
On August 29, 2013, families of victims, including the Yokotas, spoke at a UN hearing. In May 2014, after talks with Japan, North Korea agreed to investigate the abductee issue. On July 4, 2014, Japan eased some of its sanctions on North Korea after talks. North Korea agreed to reopen investigations into the abduction cases. In October 2014, a Japanese group visited North Korea.
In March 2015, talks with North Korea did not produce results. Japan then extended its sanctions for another 24 months. These sanctions included stopping North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports and limiting trade. These sanctions ended in March 2017.
In February 2019, Japanese government sources announced that Minoru Tanaka, a restaurant worker believed to have been kidnapped around 1978, has been living in Pyongyang with his wife and children since then. North Korean authorities had previously said they were not involved in Tanaka's disappearance.
In 2019, the number of suspected Japanese kidnappings by North Korea dropped. This happened because some missing people were found in Japan and had no connection to North Korea. As of July 12, 2022, the number of missing Japanese citizens suspected of being kidnapped by North Korea is 871.
After Prime Minister Shinzō Abe resigned in 2020, his replacement, Yoshihide Suga, said he wanted to "make a breakthrough" on the situation. He talked about meeting with Kim Jong-Un. However, Suga resigned in 2021 before he could meet Kim Jong-un. Suga's successor, Fumio Kishida, has not yet commented on the abduction issue.
Who Were the Victims?
The Japanese government officially recognizes 17 people as victims of these abductions. Minoru Tanaka was added to the list on April 27, 2005, after evidence showed he was abducted. Kyoko Matsumoto was added in November 2006.
| Name | Gender | Born | How They Disappeared | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yutaka Kume | Male | c. 1925 | Disappeared September 19, 1977, from Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture | North Korea says they were not involved. |
| Minoru Tanaka | c. 1950 | Disappeared in June 1978. He was convinced to go overseas and later taken to North Korea. | North Korea says they were not involved. The Japanese government announced in February 2019 that Tanaka is alive and living in Pyongyang. | |
| Kyoko Matsumoto | Female | 1948 | Disappeared on October 21, 1977, on her way to a knitting class near her home | North Korea says they were not involved. |
| Keiko Arimoto | January 12, 1960 | Disappeared in June 1983 from Copenhagen, Denmark. She had been studying English in London. | Allegedly died on November 4, 1988, in North Korea. Her parents still do not believe she is dead until North Korea provides clear proof. | |
| Megumi Yokota | October 15, 1964 | Disappeared November 15, 1977, from Niigata, Niigata Prefecture | Allegedly died on March 13, 1994, in North Korea (North Korea first said 1993, then corrected it). Her parents still do not believe she is dead until North Korea provides clear proof. | |
| Yaeko Taguchi | August 10, 1955 | Disappeared in June 1978 from Tokyo, Japan. | Allegedly died on July 30, 1986, in North Korea. However, Kim Hyon-hui, a bomber from Korean Air Flight 858, said North Korea's claim was false. | |
| Yasushi Chimura | Male | June 4, 1955 | Disappeared together on July 7, 1978, near the coast of Obama, Fukui. | Alive (returned in 2002) |
| Fukie Hamamoto | Female | June 8, 1955 | ||
| Kaoru Hasuike | Male | September 29, 1957 | Disappeared together on July 31, 1978, from the coast of Kashiwazaki, Niigata. | |
| Yukiko Okudo | Female | April 15, 1956 | ||
| Hitomi Soga | May 17, 1959 | Disappeared together on August 12, 1978, from Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture | Alive (returned in 2002). She married Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, an American soldier who left his army post in 1965. She returned to Japan with him in 2004. | |
| Miyoshi Soga | c. 1932 | North Korea says they were not involved. However, Hitomi Soga, Miyoshi's daughter, said North Korea's claim was false. | ||
| Rumiko Masumoto | November 1, 1954 | Disappeared together on August 12, 1978, from Fukiage, Kagoshima Prefecture | Allegedly died on August 17, 1981, in North Korea | |
| Shuichi Ichikawa | Male | October 20, 1954 | Allegedly died on September 4, 1979, in North Korea | |
| Toru Ishioka | June 29, 1957 | Disappeared in May 1980 from Madrid, Spain during a trip in Europe | Allegedly died on November 4, 1988, in North Korea | |
| Kaoru Matsuki | June 23, 1953 | Allegedly died on August 23, 1996, in North Korea | ||
| Tadaaki Hara | August 10, 1936 | Disappeared in June 1980 from Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture | Allegedly died on July 19, 1986, in North Korea |
Other Abductions
North Korea has also abducted people from South Korea. South Korea has the highest number of citizens taken by North Korea. Around 3,800 South Koreans were abducted in total, and about 485 or 486 are still believed to be held in North Korea.
In December 1969, a Korean Air Lines YS-11 plane was taken over by a North Korean agent shortly after taking off from Gangneung. The pilot was forced to fly to North Korea. The crew, the plane, and seven passengers have not been returned. North Korea says the pilot chose to seek asylum (protection in another country), but it is seen as another abduction case.
In the 1970s, many women were abducted from Lebanon. In July 1977, there was an attempt to abduct a Korean pianist/actress and her husband from Yugoslavia.
There are reports that several others have been abducted. These include two Chinese (from Macau), two Dutch, three French, three Italians, a Jordanian, four Malaysians, and a Singaporean. There is also some evidence that an American citizen, David Sneddon, was kidnapped while traveling in China in 2004. He was reportedly taken by North Korean agents to be a personal English language tutor for Kim Jong-un.
The UN Commission on Human Rights investigated the abductions. Abductee Hitomi Soga also said that citizens of Romania and Thailand were among those abducted. The family of a Thai abduction victim has been identified, and the Japanese government is working with the Thai government to help.
According to the Committee for Democratization of North Korea (CDNK), North Korean agents are also thought to have abducted about 200 citizens of the People's Republic of China since the late 1990s. Most of these were ethnic Koreans from towns near the border in northeast China. They had helped North Korean defectors (people who escaped North Korea). These kidnapped victims were then imprisoned in North Korea. The Chinese government has reportedly not officially asked for these victims to be returned. This policy is said to be aimed at keeping good relations between the two countries.
Images for kids
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In May 2004, North Korea allowed the five children of two abducted couples to leave North Korea and join their families, who had come back to Japan a year and a half before.
In Spanish: Secuestros de japoneses por Corea del Norte para niños
- Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story
- Human rights in North Korea
- Japanese people in North Korea
- Kim Hyon-hui
- List of kidnappings
- List of people who disappeared
- North Korean abductions of South Koreans
- Megumi Yokota
- Korean War POWs detained in North Korea
