Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun 
Takuya Yokota (center) and Koichiro Iizuka (fourth from the left), representing the families of abductees, answer questions at Haneda Airport in Tokyo after returning from the United States on May 4. (©Sankei by Naoki Aikawa)
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Family members of victims abducted by North Korea and members of the suprapartisan Parliamentary Association on Abduction Issues (Rachigiren) visited the United States during Golden Week, April 29-May 3. They made the trip to ask for American cooperation in securing the early return of abductees believed to be still held by North Korea.
A push by US President Donald Trump is needed if all the abductees are to be quickly returned home. Only concerted pressure from Japan and the United States acting in solidarity can move North Korea at last toward a final resolution of the abduction issue.
In Washington, the group met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the second-highest-ranking official in the US State Department. Landau reaffirmed that the Trump administration intends to pursue resolution of the abduction issue.
They also met with the principal deputy national security advisor and National Security Council member, then Alex Wong. He and other officials conveyed the Trump administration's assurance of full support for a quick resolution of the abduction issue.
On Capitol Hill
In their appeal, the group also met a dozen members of the US Senate and House of Representatives. Among them were Republican Representative Jill Tokuda (Hawaii) and Jen Kiggans (Virginia). They led a bipartisan group of 17 members of Congress who sent a letter dated April 4 to President Trump urging him to prioritize policies aimed at returning Japanese abductees to Japan.
The letter read in part, "Your success in doing so would be a historic foreign policy achievement and bring long-awaited closure and justice for families that have waited far too long."
Momentum appears to be building.
A Presidential Promise
We should rely on Trump's hefty political clout and communication skills. After all, during his first term, the US President held two summits with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un. There was reportedly a tense moment when Trump directly pressed Kim concerning the abduction issue, saying, "Significant progress has not been made." That came after the North Korean dictator repeatedly sought to evade discussing the issue.
President Trump was also asked at a post-meeting press conference why he had raised the abduction issue. He replied, "Because it's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's number one priority."
The person who should now assume that same role is Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He needs to seek Trump's cooperation at least as ardently as Abe did.
An 'Axis of Evil'
Then, too, Trump is a man of compassion.
In 2020, when Shigeru Yokota, the father of abductee Megumi Yokota, passed away, Trump sent a message of condolence to his widow, Sakie. He promised to work with the Yokotas, "in continuing this important work to finally bring Megumi home."
Megumi's younger brother, Takuya, now heads the association of abductee families. He has repeatedly stated that he "still has faith" in Trump's words.
An American president has immense influence. We should not forget Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to North Korea in 2002, which brought home five abduction victims. The backdrop to that meeting was the strong pressure exerted by the George W Bush Administration, which had designated North Korea as a member of the "axis of evil."
RELATED:
- To Resolve the Abductions, Ishiba Must Secure US Cooperation
- INTERVIEW | Abduction Issue 'Won't Be Resolved Until Everyone Returns'
- EXCLUSIVE | Letter From Bipartisan US Lawmakers Calls for Resolution of the Abductions
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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