Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is to officially recognize 15 Japanese -- including the five people who returned to Japan on Oct. 15 -- as victims of abduction by Pyongyang, it was learned Friday.
They will be eligible for government support in accordance with legislation that took effect at the beginning of January.
The law provides the returnees with monthly payments of 170,000 yen each, or 240,000 yen for a two-person household, and 30,000 yen for each additional family member for a maximum of five years.