Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga may have to wait several weeks to be reunited with her husband because the government needs to pick the right location for the couple to discuss their future in a "quiet environment," a top Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.

It has been reported that the government is trying to arrange a reunion between Soga and her family, now in North Korea, as early as this weekend.

The official's remark, however, suggests that the process could take more time than was anticipated.