Former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung said in a message relayed to a meeting Friday in Tokyo marking the 30th anniversary of his abduction from a Tokyo hotel that the incident has been overlooked due to political maneuvering.

"We could not find out the facts behind the incident because the (South) Korean and Japanese governments reached a political settlement," Kim said. His message was conveyed to a gathering of people from both countries who want the matter settled.

The former president said South Korea's administrative authority tried to pull off the abduction. Japan had proof of this but chose to overlook the incident, he said.