Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie, both of whom North Korea abducted in 1978, told Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and Cabinet Secretariat special adviser Kyoko Nakayama on Sunday that they want the government to realize the early "return" to Japan of their three North Korean-born children.
It was the first time Abe and Nakayama have visited any of the five abductees, who returned to their hometowns Oct. 17 after arriving in Tokyo two days earlier. The Chimuras are from the city of Obama, Fukui Prefecture.
"As the government, we will uphold our responsibilities and work for the return of your children. It may be prolonged but I hope you will be patient," Abe told the couple after explaining the results of the normalization talks between Japan and North Korea held Tuesday and Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur.
In the ambassadorial-level talks, the two countries failed to reach agreement over the permanent return of the abductees and the resettlement of their families who remain in the North.