The families of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea and Diet members working to help them reaffirmed Thursday their demand that the government take a firm stance on the issue.

"I want the government to explore what really happened, before it works on normalizing diplomatic ties (with North Korea)," Kenichi Ichikawa told a news conference at a Diet building. The 57-year-old's younger brother, Shuichi, was kidnapped in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1978.

The families and a group of Diet representatives working on the abduction issue are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at his official residence Friday.