The government should not normalize diplomatic relations with North Korea unless it hands back Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by Pyongyang agents, a group of family members of such missing people and their supporters said Sunday.
At a gathering in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, Katsumi Sato, head of the group, said establishing diplomatic relations with North Korea would mean the government providing 3 trillion yen in loans and official development assistance, or ODA, to the Communist state. Nations that have diplomatic relations with Japan are eligible for loans and ODA.
"The taxes we pay might be funneled to a country that abducted Japanese citizens," he told more than 2,000 people who attended the gathering. "We cannot allow it to happen unless the issue is solved."
Twelve family members of those allegedly abducted to North Korea spoke of the grief they had suffered.
Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was allegedly taken to Pyongyang in 1977 when she was 13, said she almost lost her mind with grief after Megumi went missing.
"I cried and cried everyday," she said. "I looked for Megumi wherever I went, thinking she might be there somewhere."
She said former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi called the Yokotas after he read a book about their daughter published in October.
"I realize how hard it is for the family. I will make my utmost efforts to bring back (your daughter)," she quoted Obuchi as saying. Obuchi had a stroke on April 2 and was replaced by Yoshiro Mori.
The government has said that at least 12 people are believed to have been abducted and taken to North Korea.