Members of the families of abduction victims met with then-US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania on November 6, 2017, in Tokyo. From the front row center to the right are Sakie Yokota, Akihiro Arimoto, and Fumiyo Saito. (©Reuters via Kyodo)
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Megumi Yokota was 13 years old when North Korean agents abducted her on November 15, 1977. She was walking home from school after badminton practice at her junior high in Niigata City. The previous day, November 14, was her father Shigeru's birthday and Megumi gave him a brown comb as a gift. She disappeared the very next day.
Since that fateful day, 47 long, cruel years have passed. During that time Shigeru, who had been waiting anxiously to be reunited with his beloved daughter, also passed away.
Megumi's mother Sakie has said: "I feel an indescribable frustration. I want the government to take this seriously."
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the abduction issue "a humanitarian issue that cannot be neglected even for a moment." Now he needs to translate those fine words into action.
Meanwhile, in the United States, former president Donald Trump will be returning to the White House after a bruising election. We should recall his support during his first administration.
Catching the World's Attention ― and North Korea's
Mr Trump spoke to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2017, saying: "We know it (North Korea) kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea's spies." (Read the transcript of this speech.)
He has also criticized North Korea in no uncertain terms. "North Korea is committing horrific human rights violations," he declared. That is certainly true in Megumi's case.
During his two visits to Japan, Trump also met with families of abduction victims. He shed tears, saying that his "heart is torn apart."
While president, Trump held two summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In those, he criticized the lack of "significant progress" on the abduction issue. There were reportedly some tense moments when Trump pressed Kim. However, Kim repeatedly sought to evade the criticism.
At a press conference following a meeting with Kim, the press asked Trump why he brought up the abductions. He replied, "Because they are also a top priority for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."
These actions show that Trump is a man of compassion. They are also the result of the persistent efforts of family members of the victims abducted by North Korea and their support groups, and the strenuous diplomatic efforts of then-Prime Minister Abe.
Lessons from History
Prime Minister Ishiba has gone to South America to attend the APEC conference and other events. After meeting with President Joe Biden, he also reportedly tried to arrange a meeting with President-elect Trump. That hasn't happened yet. However, hopefully, Ishiba will do whatever is needed to share his anger over the abduction issue in a direct meeting with Mr Trump.
More importantly, we hope he will bring the incoming US president back to the forefront of the ongoing efforts to resolve the abduction issue. This should be a top priority that "cannot be neglected even for a moment."
There is a lesson from history here that we should not forget.
Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father, first acknowledged the abductions by North Korea in September 2002. He offered an apology to then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during his visit to Pyongyang only because of the fierce pressure exerted by the George W Bush administration. It came after the US had formally designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism. Bush had additionally named it as part of the "axis of evil."
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Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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