Hope for progress on North Korean abductions - NHKニュース

Hope for progress on North Korean abductions "Time waits for no one, and human lives have their limits. I want to know what happened to my mother. But information is hard to come by, and all I can do is wait."More than 20 years after returning to Japan, Soga Hitomi ― once abducted to North Korea ― is still waiting for the homecoming of other victims, including her mother. As US President Donald Trump hints at a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, families hope for progress. NHK WORLD'S Takeda Tomonari spoke with Soga.

"Three men who had been following us suddenly ran up and attacked my mother and me. They tied our hands and covered our heads with bags. Then they carried us away to a river." These were the words of Soga Hitomi, a woman abducted by North Korea, describing how it all began. In 1978, Soga was taken with her mother, Miyoshi, from Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture by North Korean agents. "I was forced onto a boat and taken up a river. The river led to the sea, where a larger vessel was waiting. I was transferred to that vessel and arrived in North Korea the following day. Since the moment I was abducted, I have never seen my mother's face or heard her voice. They removed the hood once I was on the larger vessel. But it was pitch dark inside the ship," she recalled.

Above all, she says, is worry about her mother. "She turns 95 this year. I just hope she is healthy and well. And I hope she never gives up on coming back to Sado," she said. "We're running out of time," she added. "I keep saying the same thing wherever I go."

Soga and her mother are two of 17 people Japan's government recognizes as having been abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 80s. But the true number is likely to be far higher. According to the National Police Agency, there are more than 860 missing persons cases in which abduction by North Korea can't be ruled out.

Sado Island is located in the Sea of Japan, between the mainland and North Korea. Japanese authorities believe a number of North Korean agents infiltrated the surrounding region by boat. Officials say the abductees were used to teach Japanese language and culture to North Korean agents. According to the authorities, some abducted Japanese nationals are believed to have had their identities assumed by North Korean agents. In other cases, abductees themselves were allegedly groomed to become agents.

Soga said she spent many of her early years in North Korea isolated from society. Even her trips to the store were monitored.

"Whenever I went out, I was always accompanied by a minder and a driver. They would ride in the car with me at all times. The location of the store, how long I could stay there, and even the time I was supposed to return were all decided in advance," she said.There were hints of other abductees being treated the same."We always traveled in a black sedan. From time to time, I would pass other similar vehicles. That led me to believe there may have been other people living under circumstances similar to mine," she added.

In 1980, she married Charles Robert Jenkins, a former US military serviceman who had defected to the North years earlier. She spent most of her time at home, raising her children, growing crops, and caring for animals. For many years, she had no reason to believe she would ever see Japan again.

A diplomatic breakthrough came in September 2002, when then-Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro held landmark talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.Five abductees were able to return to Japan. Soga was one of them, but the whereabouts of the other 12 ― including her mother ― remain unknown.

Nearly a quarter of a century has passed, yet not a single person apart from the five returnees has been brought back to Japan. "Time waits for no one, and human lives have their limits. I want to know what happened to my mother. But information is hard to come by, and all I can do is wait," she said.

According to the United Nations, people from countries across Europe and Asia are also believed to have fallen victim to North Korean abductions. One case that continues to draw attention is that of Thai national Anocha Panchoi, who disappeared in Macao in 1978.

Testimony from Soga Hitomi's late husband Jenkins suggested that Anocha was likely abducted by North Korea. Soga says the two women lived in the same apartment complex there.Thai authorities quickly contacted her family and raised the case with North Korea. Pyongyang responded that it had no information about her. But years of political turmoil in Thailand hampered efforts to pursue the case, and little progress was made.That may be beginning to change. In August, members of Thailand's National Human Rights Commission met with Soga, asking about Anocha's daily life and health in North Korea.

Pitikan Sithidej, a Commissioner of the NHRC of Thailand, told NHK that Soga called Anocha an older sister. And after Soga had a daughter, Anocha came to help take care of her.She said although Pyongyang denies any abduction, talking with Soga made it clear."The most important information is the confirmation that Ms. Anocha was alive in North Korea. This is the most important point. It means that it can no longer be denied that Anocha was in North Korea," she added.The commissioner said Thailand became a party to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2024 and must prepare a report and submit it to the committee established under the convention. The report will cover the situation regarding enforced disappearances of Thai citizens. Anocha's case is expected to be one of the issues included in this report.She said, "This will help raise the level of the issue. It will no longer be just a domestic matter; it will also have to be taken to the international level."Japan is also seeking closer cooperation with Thailand and other countries in hopes of keeping international attention focused on the unresolved abduction cases.

24 years have passed since Soga came home. She often travels around Japan speaking about the abduction issue and calling for the return of the remaining victims. Soga hasn't seen her mother since she was 19 years old. She's not the only one suffering. The family members of other abductees are also growing older.Trump says he may meet Kim Jong Un during a trip to Asia next month. When the two met in the past, he raised the abduction issue during their talks. The recent report has given some families hope that the issue could once again regain international attention.

Soga said, "I hope such a meeting could help move things in a positive direction."But, she added, Japan will need to work closely with the United States to resolve the issue. And that's not all. "In the end, I believe it will take direct talks between the leaders of Japan and North Korea. I really hope that can happen as soon as possible," she said.