People from Thailand, Lebanon, South Korea and Japan whose kin were allegedly abducted to North Korea vowed Wednesday to join hands to seek the return of their loved-ones.
They are in Tokyo to attend a rally Thursday aimed at boosting public awareness of the abductions and pressuring the government to impose economic sanctions on Pyongyang.
"It is becoming clear that North Korea abducted people from (as many as) 12 countries," said Shigeo Iizuka, whose younger sister was abducted to North Korea in the late 1970s. "We will cooperate with (relatives in) other countries to discuss ways to resolve this issue."