Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has met with the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. He said he had received overall support from US President Donald Trump on the abduction issue, and vowed to explore all possibilities to resolve the issue.



Ishiba met the abductees' families and others at the prime minister's office on Thursday. He received a new action plan recently adopted by a group of abductees' families.



Yokota Takuya, the head of the group, was among those who attended. He is the younger brother of Yokota Megumi, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at the age of 13. Megumi's mother, Sakie, also attended.



Ishiba referred to Arimoto Akihiro. He died earlier this month without ever being reunited with his daughter Keiko, who was abducted in 1983. The prime minister said it was extremely regrettable and wanted to offer his sincere condolences.



Ishiba said that at the recent Japan-US summit, Trump asked him how the families of the abductees whom the president had met before were doing.



He explained he had received comprehensive support from Trump for the resolution of the abduction issue.



Ishiba also said he firmly believes that North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens are a violation of national sovereignty, and the government must explore all possibilities. He stressed his government's commitment to do its utmost to realize the return of all the abductees.



Yokota Takuya said he wonders why the government does not do anything to get the abductees back and urged the government not to make abductees' families suffer any more.



He urged the government to work for a Japan-North Korea summit so the abductees can be reunited with their families in Japan.



Yokota Sakie said she has been doing activities such as nationwide campaigning for almost 50 years. She said North Korea is a difficult country so things do not go the desired way.



Sakie said she wants their children to have the joy of stepping on Japanese soil as soon as possible.



Japan's government has so far recognized 17 citizens as having been abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s. Five returned home following a bilateral summit in 2002, but the other 12 are unaccounted for.