The mother of a Japanese woman abducted decades ago by North Korea has repeated her calls for government action as soon as possible. Yokota Sakie, 88, told NHK time is running out.

North Korea admitted to abducting Japanese nationals during a summit with Japan almost 22 years ago on September 17, 2002.

Yokota's daughter, Megumi, was taken in 1977 from Niigata City on the Sea of Japan coast. She was 13, and on her way home from school.

Yokota told NHK that her daughter must miss her family and friends. She also talked about patiently waiting to see her again for the past 47 years.

Megumi is among 17 citizens the Japanese government says were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Five have since returned, but the others are unaccounted for.

Yokota and her husband Shigeru, who died four years ago, have taken a leading role in the push to see all the abductees handed back to Japan.

Yokota says she became aware of her own mortality when her health took a turn for the worse in February last year.

At the time, she gave herself two more years to live in the hope of seeing Megumi again. But since then, the abductions issue has not progressed.

Yokota says without urgent action from the government, she might never be reunited with her daughter.