A: Hey there! Did you hear about the news?
B: Nope, what's up?

A: Well, an 89-year-old Japanese woman named Yokota Sakie asked the government to seriously work on bringing back her daughter and other abductees from North Korea.
B: Whoa, that sounds heavy! What happened exactly?

A: So, her daughter, Megumi, was kidnapped by North Korea when she was just a 1st-year junior high school student in 1977. Now, she's about to turn 61. Sadly, her father passed away two years ago at 87.
B: Oh my, that must be tough for her!

A: Yeah, it is. She's been really frustrated with the lack of progress in resolving this issue over nearly 50 years. She even met with several prime ministers but still hasn't seen any developments.
B: I can understand why she feels that way. It's been a long time, and her daughter is still missing.

A: Exactly! And it's sad because Sakie is the only surviving parent of the government-recognized abductees who are still unaccounted for. The other parent passed away earlier this year.
B: That must be tough on her, having no one else to turn to.

A: Right! So, she's asking the government to take action as time is running out. Japan recognizes 17 citizens as having been abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s, but only 5 have returned home so far.
B: Man, that's a lot of people still missing. I hope they can find them soon.

A: Me too! It must be such a relief for those families if their loved ones come back safely.
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The 89-year-old mother of a Japanese woman abducted by North Korea has asked the government to commit itself to bringing back the abductees.



Yokota Sakie spoke at a news conference on Tuesday, two days ahead of the 5th anniversary of her husband's death.



Yokota Shigeru led the group of abductees' families for a decade after its foundation in 1997. He died in 2020 at the age of 87.



Their daughter Yokota Megumi was a first-year junior high school student when she was abducted in November 1977 in Niigata City, central Japan. She will turn 61 in October.



Her mother said she has long been frustrated by the lack of progress in resolving the abduction issue.



She said she has done everything she could, including meeting with several prime ministers, but she has seen no developments in the nearly 50 years since her daughter was abducted.



Sakie is the only surviving parent of the government-recognized abductees who remain unaccounted for. The 96-year-old father of Arimoto Keiko died in February this year.



Sakie called on the government to work more seriously as time is running out, saying that she and other family members can do nothing but ask the government to take action.



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.