800 people gather for abductee families to return home immediately - Tokyo

A ``national rally'' was held in Tokyo on the 8th calling for the immediate return of all abductees by North Korea. Takuya (58), the younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was 13 at the time of her abduction, and the representative of the Abduction Victims' Family Liaison Association (Family Association), called on ``(the abductee's) parents' generation to live every day on the edge of their lives.I hope they will fight together with a strong determination not to give up until they are able to return home.''

``While my parents are still alive'' with little time left ◆What the abduction victim families are thinking now (Takuya Yokota, Representative of the Liaison Committee for Families of Victims Abducted by North Korea)

The rally was sponsored by family associations and others, and about 800 people participated, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Megumi's mother, Sakie (90), who is the only parent in the family of unrepatriated victims recognized by the government, said, ``I feel a sadness and sadness that cannot be expressed in words when the family I worked so hard to raise was taken away.'' ``For almost 50 years, no one has been able to help them.We must continue to show that we will never allow the abduction issue to be left unaddressed,'' he said.

Koichiro Iizuka (49), the eldest son of Yaeko Taguchi (22), also spoke with a strong voice, saying, ``When the new year ends, it will be 49 years since my mother was abducted.I absolutely cannot allow this to be postponed until the 50th year.''

In his speech, Prime Minister Takaichi said, ``I am deeply saddened that the abductees have not yet been able to return home.My mission will not end until I make a breakthrough in my generation and the day their families can hug their immediate relatives.'' At the meeting, a resolution was adopted calling on North Korea to return all children of their parents' generation to Japan while they are still alive.