Five Japanese abducted by North Korea in 1978 and repatriated in 2002 on Tuesday marked the 11th anniversary of their return to Japan.

The five — Kaoru Hasuike, 56, and his wife, Yukiko, 57, from Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture; Hitomi Soga, 54, from Sado, also in the prefecture; and Yasushi Chimura and his wife, Fukie, both 58, from Obama, Fukui Prefecture — have resettled in their hometowns.

No substantial progress has been made since the repatriation of the five regarding other abductees believed still in North Korea, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's oft-stated goal of resolving the issue.