Relatives of Japanese nationals who were abducted by North Korea decades ago have taken part in a UN online symposium. They called for the remaining abductees to be repatriated as soon as possible, so their parents can see them again.

The symposium was organized by Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea and the European Union.

The Japanese government says at least 17 citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 80s. Five were repatriated after a bilateral summit in 2002. But the other 12 are still unaccounted for.

Yokota Takuya, who heads a group of the Japanese abductees' families, addressed the event. He is the brother of Yokota Megumi, who was 13 years old when she was abducted in 1977.

Yokota noted many of the abductees' parents have died while yearning for their return. He said there is a time limit for solving the abduction issue because that can only be done if the surviving parents are reunited with their children.

Yokota called on Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and push forward negotiations to deliver the reunions.

He also urged Kim to agree to a summit, saying all the abductees' relatives want is to get their loved ones back home.

Kishida said in May that he wanted to start high-level talks under his direct supervision with a view to holding a summit with North Korea at an early date.

Iizuka Koichiro, whose mother Taguchi Yaeko was abducted when he was only 1 year old, also spoke at the symposium. He noted that it is 45 years this month since his mother was abducted.

Iizuka said several of the abductees' relatives have died in recent years. He said he will feel nothing but anger toward North Korea if any more relatives pass away before being reunited with their loved ones.

Only two of the remaining abductees' parents are alive. The father of Arimoto Keiko is in his 90s and the mother of Yokota Megumi is in her late 80s.