Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga and her family arrived Sunday in Tokyo in a move expected to lead to their permanent residence in Japan, although uncertainty remains over the fate of her American husband accused by the United States of deserting from the army.
After arriving at Haneda airport at 5:48 p.m. from Indonesia on a government-chartered airliner, Charles Jenkins, 64, was hospitalized for treatment of stomach problems. Soga, 45, and the couple's two North Korean-born daughters, Mika, 21, and Belinda, 18, are to stay in a room in the hospital for some time.
As the United States eventually is expected to demand Jenkins' extradition under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement, Tokyo plans to continue negotiations with Washington on a settlement that would enable Jenkins to remain in Japan.