A North Korean agent suspected of being involved in the 1983 abduction of Keiko Arimoto in Europe entered Japan between 1978 and 1979 when other Japanese vanished, according to sources.
Kim Yu Chol entered Japan at least twice during the two years when eight Japanese were abducted and an attempt on two others occurred, the sources said, adding it is the first time the man's presence in Japan was confirmed.
In 1978, three Japanese couples were abducted, from Niigata, Fukui and Kagoshima prefectures, and another couple were almost kidnapped in Toyama Prefecture. In addition, Yaeko Taguchi, a native of Saitama Prefecture, was also kidnapped to North Korea, probably from Tokyo, that year. North Korea last Tuesday confirmed that she and Arimoto had died.