A U.S. official said Wednesday that Washington supports Japan's efforts to resolve the so-called abduction issue with North Korea, after Tokyo announced it will send a delegation to Pyongyang for talks.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States "certainly supports" the central government's efforts to find out what happened to Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, some of whom may still be alive and living there.
Harf added that the U.S. backs the Japanese government's efforts to "resolve this issue in a manner that takes into account the interests of the abductees' family and the security interests of Japan" as well as "its diplomatic partners in the international community."