Some relatives of abductees said Wednesday they were against the government sending Japanese officials to Pyongyang as the North has requested, because they may return empty-handed.
The government wants North Korea to release a promised initial report into the fate of Japanese nationals kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s, but a lobby group representing their families said it's unlikely a visit to Pyongyang would make the abductees' return any more likely.
"Most of the families agreed that it would be ineffective for (the officials) to visit North Korea just to meet members of the special investigation committee," said Shigeo Iizuka, head of the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea.