Japan and North Korea have been in disputes for quite some time now, and Japan is demanding that they reach a settlement as quickly as possible. Japan has alleged illegal and inhumane actions taken against them during the Cold War, and has grown tired of waiting for the matter to be resolved. Disputes center on a number of Japanese kidnappings committed by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.
Though it has been decades since the kidnappings, Japan does not consider the matter to be over and done with. With the spread of Communism on the rise during the late ‘70s and ‘80s, many countries were seeking to collect information on their enemies. This was a motivating factor in the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea, who then took them out of the country and tried to convert them into spies for their own use. Once they were deemed fit for their new duties, they would have been returned home where they would have become enemy informants against their native country.
Japan wants the fate of the abduction victims to be explained in as much detail as possible. Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Foreign Minister, has said that there must be an exhaustive look into the situation, and North Korea must ensure that no stones are left unturned in the search for answers. Officials from both nations are therefore set to meet on the situation and try to form a solution together, the Mail Online reports.
The situation had formerly appeared to be resolved. After five abductees saw a safe return home, Japan was led to believe that the others were dead. Not only is Japan skeptical of this claim by North Korea, but they believe they may never have been informed of the exact number of total abductees to begin with. They are therefore demanding that, if any of the people who were kidnapped are still alive and in custody, they must be released to Japan.
Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, hopes for a swift resolution with North Korea so that the matter can finally be put to rest after decades of disputes. Once the matter is fully settled, it will benefit the relationship of the two nations as they are able to move forward amicably. Japan is expecting one of two resolutions from North Korea: either abductees must be released into Japanese custody, or the details of a full investigation must be reviewed as proof that there are no surviving victims of the Japanese kidnappings.