Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his hardline stance toward North Korea, vowed Friday to settle the long-stalled abduction issue in his meeting with kin of those kidnapped by Pyongyang's agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
"I am determined to resolve the issue," Abe said in early part of the meeting open to the press at his office. "I will be making efforts every day to deliver results, not just words."
The meeting, coming only two days after Abe took office as prime minister, apparently reflects the new administration's intention to highlight its initiative for resolving the issue.