Abe says he won't back down until all N Korea abductees accounted for

Maybe the North Korean people will someday overthrow the Kim Dynasty, and then the Japanese people will receive a full accounting of the abductees.

@SerranoSEP. 14, 2014 - 07:52AM JST Maybe the North Korean people will someday overthrow the Kim Dynasty, and then the Japanese people will receive a full accounting of the abductees

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I agree with your assessnent. N Korean people have been patience for a long time.

Looking forward to the day Kim Jong Un stands in front of a muzzle.

“Resolving the abductions issue is the top priority of my administration,” the prime minister told the crowd.

Rather misguided considering the state of the economy, relations with South Korea and China and impending implosion of the nenkin system.

Do not miss the real pattern. When real problems become apparent the abductions are the go to "distraction" used by Japanese politicians of the LDP stripe.

When Sato was caught double dealing about nukes and Okinawa that was his go to distraction.

When Fukuda was caught in 1976 of rigging contracts for companies that paid pols in the LDP for granting them this was his distraction. "You can't remove me we have a national threat from DPRK."

Nakasone's third term was only a year due to the Recruit scandal. His line of defence, "We have a threat from the DPRK and getting the abductees back."

Then there was Koizumi, Abe (first term), Fukuda, Aso, and Noda who all also used the go to to distract their appalling performances.

In Japanese politics when the going gets tough say you will get tough on the abduction issue. I can buy you a few extra months.

Well, politicians generally pick easy things that will make them popular. If this is all Abe's got, that means trouble.

The economy's crumbling, prices are going up, trade deficits are increasing, the debt is about to make the Yen absolutely collapse, but hey, we're going to keep on those evil North Koreans that took a few dozen people several decades ago.

By golly that Abe sure is tough.

This was reported on NHK news last night, as it is every week as mandated by the Abe government. I think they even use the same script for each report. I have noticed that this compulsory "news" item has been moved from Sunday to Saturday, possibly to demonstrate the "independence" of NHK.

Anyway, if this really is Abe's top priority he isn't doing very well with it. Perhaps he should make way for someone else who puts the economy and balancing the budget first.

@SerranoSEP. 14, 2014 - 07:52AM JST Maybe the North Korean people will someday overthrow the Kim Dynasty, and then the Japanese people will receive a full accounting of the abductees

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NK people have no means to overthrow the Kim Dynasty by themselves without foreign intervention.

"Abe will not back down until every abductee is accounted for". So which number are they talking about 17 or 869? I would not trust the word of the No. Korean Gov. I also do not beleive they kept meticulous records either.

I wonder if there was any involvement of native Japanese who assisted in transporting these people to NK? I mean how were they able to slip them right through the border checkpoint without flagging security?

turn up the heat !!! Japan should declare war and invade Nth Korea, stop being such a pussy and get on with it, no one in the world will try and stop you.

September 14, 2014 $:20 P.M JST= Samwatters" Resolving thee abduction issue is the top pripority of my administration", Mr Abe told the crowd. I agree with Samwatters that Mr.Abe has got his priorities wrong by singling out the abduction issue, that is , if we feel justified in thinking that Mr. Abe gave his honest opinion vis-a-vis the abduction issue, or for that matter any other issue as well except those related to the restart of nuclear poer plants and what he calls a complete break with "the post war regeme". What he stands out in the way he makes a speech in or outside the Diet is he does not seeem to have the feeling in his body for regarding his words as standing for the implementation of the policy he is giving voice to by speeh-making; the words a politician resorts to represents action in the form of politicail dicision-making / policy implementation. The fact of the matter is he uses words by way of ornament to decorate himself with to project a feel-good image about himself like women put on make-up. He gets intoxicated with these words. He is a narcist. Getting bacck to where we started from, to those crowd of people who have gathered together to give moral support to the abductees families you could not bring yourself to say, for example, the abduction issue pales besides the issue of getting Fukushima under contron. He should not give a blind eye to the historical fact that tens of thousands of Koreans were brought to Japan as forced labourers during the war.

Families of the abducted have continuously insisted that they do not appreciate being used for their political gain.

"Families of the abducted have continuously insisted that they do not appreciate being used for their political gain."

They may say that but the actions of some of the families say otherwise, especially the Yokotas. They have an army of "handlers" and "advisors" and have turned the abduction of their daughter into a cottage industry complete with audiences with two US presidents and a generous tax-funded package to remain as spokespersons for the abduction issue.

@enough_ropeSEP. 14, 2014 - 06:32PM JST Families of the abducted have continuously insisted that they do not appreciate being used for their political gain.

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Are you sure??? Certainly not on Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Sankei. NHK, TBS. Which media report you found???

@cracaphot: Very soon new election and probably LDP will win as Mrs. Abe will work hard on behalf of LDP candidates like last time when Abe could not do and LDP won, This means LDP will wn. And this means Abe will be PM a€€in. Not Aso or others who want to be PM.