Abductees' Families Hold Major Rally in Tokyo

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)--Families of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea decades ago held a major rally in Tokyo on Sunday to renew their demand for the immediate return to Japan of all remaining abductees.

Fully 20 years have passed since five abductees returned from North Korea to Japan on Oct. 15, 2002. But no other abductee has come back since then.

Many members of abductees' families have grown old, and some have died. But participants said they will not give up until they see their loved ones again, underlining their call for an early resolution of the abduction issue.

"We don't have time," said Takuya Yokota, 54, who heads a group of families of abduction victims. His older sister, Megumi, was kidnapped in 1977 aged 13.

He said that some parents of abductees have died, calling the situation a "harsh reality."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]