Abducted – Four Stories, Four Lives, Episode 4: Teaching Terrorists, The Story of Yaeko and Her Son

They were ordinary people abducted from Japan by North Korea. One was Yaeko Taguchi, a young mother raising two children in Tokyo. She disappeared without a trace in 1978. The case came as a shock to Koichiro Iizuka, who learned of his mother's identity as a young adult. Yaeko's disappearance bore similarities to those of 13-year-old Megumi Yokota in episode 1, as well as the college student Kaoru Hasuike in episode 2. However, there were scant clues to explain what happened, as Journalist Masami Abe explained in episode 3. Yaeko's case only came to light in 1987, when convicted North Korean spy Kim Hyeon-hui confessed that she had been taught Japanese by a Japanese woman held in North Korea.

JAPAN Forward presents Episode 4 of "Abducted – Four Stories, Four Lives," a new podcast series that investigates the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea.

Hosted by journalists Arielle Busetto and Agnes Tandler, these talks give listeners an insight into the lives of four different people who are forever changed by a series of terrible crimes. Their lives are later all linked together in unexpected ways. It is the first-ever podcast series dedicated to this topic.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation in this fourth and last podcast episode as JAPAN Forward traces the search for Yaeko and story of the son she left behind. And follow the series, "Abducted – Four Stories, Four Lives" on Apple Podcast. The announcement will be made on our Facebook, Instagram and X account. Feel free to share any suggestions in our comment section below.