Mother of Japanese abducted by N. Korea urges resolution 49 years on

NIIGATA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Megumi Yokota's mother, Sakie Yokota, 90, has re-emphasized her plea for a resolution to the 49-year-old case of her daughter's abduction by North Korea. On November 15, 1977, the 13-year-old was taken away while on her way home from school in Niigata Prefecture, near the Sea of Japan. Tetsuya Yokota, Megumi's brother, highlighted the necessity of high-level negotiations between Japan and North Korea, asserting that such matters can be addressed at the summit level rather than at the operational level.

Japan officially recognizes 17 citizens as having been abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, with five of them being returned in 2002. The Japanese government also accuses Pyongyang of involvement in numerous other disappearances. One of these repatriated individuals, Hitomi Soga, 67, remains in search of her abducted mother, Yoshi.

Soga expressed her continuous prayers for her return and her inability to remain passive while contemplating her potential daily struggles. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to achieve a breakthrough in resolving the abduction issue during her tenure, expressing her hope for a summit meeting with North Korea's leader.