Hatoyama wants bigger effort to get abductees back from N Korea

Tuesday 27th October, 12:59 PM JST

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13 Comments

techall at 02:10 PM JST - 27th October

Whaaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha, aaaah, that'a good one!
smithinjapan at 03:27 PM JST - 27th October

‘‘all conceivable means.’’

Please! Not while I'm drinking something near my computer!!

Seriously, what does 'all conceivable means' mean? the only conceivable means Japan has are bribery, and begging the US. The former doesn't work when you renege on the bribe, and the latter doesn't work when the US decides to make steps to resolve other more important issues with NK than to inflame the bilateral issue between NK and Japan. That's about all Japan CAN do on the issue... save for 'add 10 more people to a panel'. Oops, that's what they did!

I was wondering when the new PM would start pandering the public on their favourite sob-story.
NuckinFutz at 03:39 PM JST - 27th October

This is not an issue that will ever be diplomatically resolved. Getting the facts will require the collapse "by whatever means" of the DPRK dictatorship and the capture of intelligence agents and files by occupying forces. Given that Japanese covert intelligence collection capabilities don't extend much past reading the morning newspaper on the morning TV news, don't expect much to happen until then.
smithinjapan at 04:16 PM JST - 27th October

NuckinFutz: "Getting the facts will require the collapse "by whatever means" of the DPRK dictatorship and the capture of intelligence agents and files by occupying forces."

Or even better yet, until the North and South reunite. THAT won't happen under the current Kim, that's for sure. Nor will it happen under the next Kim so long as there are countries and people suggesting that they ought to 'be collapsed (by whatever means)' -- haha. If there is ever going to be diplomatic resolution it will have to wait until Kim Jong Il is gone and the bombast of current nations quiets down a little. So long as Japan is at the table, though, I agree with what you say whole-heartedly in respect to it never getting resolved.

"Given that Japanese covert intelligence collection capabilities don't extend much past reading the morning newspaper on the morning TV news..."

Nice! And we can't forget that they publish VERY selectively, so even then the 'intelligence' is lowered.
stirfry at 04:52 PM JST - 27th October

most are already dead, and its possible the remainder actually prefer to stay there
gogogo at 05:58 PM JST - 27th October

** cough ** abductees yes..
Goodguy at 08:32 PM JST - 27th October

I thought North Korea stated that there are NO LIVING abductees left in North Korea. Does the Japan gov't have concrete proof that proves otherwise?
MeanRingo at 08:51 PM JST - 27th October

In a hundred or two hundred years Japan will still be whinging about recovering the ashes of its beloved abductees. I understand people get emotional, but when this situation is used to fan the flames of nationalism as often as it is here... well, you really have nothing but hand-me-down rage and a few ill-fated vendettas.
SBBarnes at 10:26 PM JST - 27th October

Imagine what could be done if the Japanese government cared half as much about the rest of the citizenry, you know, the ones who are in Japan and more importantly, still alive!

I bet a whole lot of lost pensions would magically reappear then. Instead we get the same old "lookee over there" from Japan's supposedly "new" government. Humbug!
smithinjapan at 10:58 PM JST - 27th October

Goodguy: "Does the Japan gov't have concrete proof that proves otherwise?"

Of course they have proof; the relatives of the abductees said, "We simply know it and demand their return." Isn't that undeniable evidence?
smithinjapan at 10:59 PM JST - 27th October

SBBarnes: "Imagine what could be done if the Japanese government cared half as much about the rest of the citizenry, you know, the ones who are in Japan and more importantly, still alive!"

Don't think what you say isn't related. In fact, every time they need to drum up or solidify support and take the focus off themselves what issue do you think they start harping on?
1trickster at 12:42 AM JST - 28th October

Time to close the book on this tired story
ca1ic0cat at 01:35 AM JST - 28th October

I imagine that all the abductees who wanted to come back have done so. Perhaps there are some who want to stay. Perhaps some of the abducteed committed suicide and were never found. Even if NK took the Japanese list and made notes of the status of everybody they took I would bet that there would be people whose whereabouts aren't known. What then?

In the meantime Hatoyama isn't going to get a lot of help from the US on the topic as he goes against US interests on other topics. I think smithinjapan has it right.

It would be nice to get the information by having the Ill regime toppled. But I don't see that happening soon. The Chinese will support any regime they find a use for, no matter how repugnant.