INTERVIEW | Abduction Issue 'Won't Be Resolved Until Everyone Returns'

(Washington) Seventeen members of the United States Congress, both Republican and Democratic, have sent a letter to President Donald Trump (a Republican) urging him to prioritize the return of Japanese abductees as he develops his policies toward North Korea. Representative Jill Tokuda (Hawaii) played a central role in putting the letter together. In a telephone interview with The Sankei Shimbun, she commented on the abduction issue, saying, "This issue won't be resolved until everyone is returned home."

Excerpts follow.

*A man passes Japanese and US flags hanging side by side on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC on April 5, 2024. (© Reuters/File Photo)*

'Japan's Sorrow is Our Sorrow'

What prompted you to take the lead in compiling the letter?

As a parent myself, I cannot imagine the grief and pain of families who want to hold their missing children and know what happened, even after decades. This letter is an effort to bring clarity to the abduction issue.

North Korea — *Megumi Yokota was abducted on her way home from school when she was 13. (Family photo)*

Why would American lawmakers help when the abduction victims are Japanese?

Japan is America's closest ally, and Japan's sorrow is our sorrow. It is especially important for a fourth-generation Japanese American like me to call for a resolution to these tragedies of the past.

It is essential to show Japan that America's friendship and the alliance go beyond economics and defense. The United States has a moral and legal obligation to support Japan in this difficult time and press for a resolution.

Both Republican and Democratic Party lawmakers participated in the letter. Are the abductions a nonpartisan issue?

The abductions are a humanitarian issue and, without a doubt, a nonpartisan issue. It's about ensuring that human rights are respected around the world and seeking justice for those abducted from Japan and other countries.

*US Representative Jill Tokuda of Hawaii (Courtesy of her office)*

Raise the Abductions in Every Contact and Dialogue

What kind of response do you expect from Mr. Trump?

I sincerely hope that he will have the abduction issue raised in every contact with North Korea. The families of the victims are running out of time. North Korea may believe that the abduction issue has been resolved. But this issue will not be resolved until the fate of the 17 victims is clarified and all of them return home.

Mr Trump and others need to make North Korea aware of the abduction issue in every contact or dialogue with that country.

It is important to seek Mr Trump's full cooperation and support to ensure that the abduction issue is not forgotten and that it is addressed in every engagement with North Korea.