NK abduction department dissolved

[thomas]

North Korea just dissolved its "liaison office dealing with Japan" where 1.500 people had been employed. They were also running the infamous "spy ships".

N Korea dissolves department in charge of abductions

=> http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=233028

Oh, and there were also defections the other way around:

U.S. defector married to abductee was in N Korean film

=> http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=232967

More info on how the abductions took place:

Abductee tells how she was grabbed, stuffed into sack

=> http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=232870

And:

Families of 5 living abductees reject visit to N. Korea

=> http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20021004p2a00m0fp022000c.html

 

[thomas]

Mainichi poll: Delay normalization talks with North Korea

=> http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20021007p2a00m0fp018001c.html

"48 percent said Japan should delay its talks with North Korea on normalization of bilateral diplomatic relations beyond October to concentrate on efforts to get to the bottom of the series of abductions carried out in the 1970s and 1980s."

"34 percent responded that Tokyo and Pyongyang should resume the stalled talks on normalization of bilateral diplomatic relations in October on the condition that North Korea fully cooperate with Japan in getting to the bottom of the abductions."

"Only 9 percent said the two nations should resume the talks without conditions attached"

"4 percent expressed opposition to resumption of the normalization talks"

Btw, also see our monthly poll.