Relatives of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s are concerned the issue will receive little attention during the Upper House election campaign, with the focus largely on economic and social security issues.

"If it (campaigning) goes on like this, the abduction issue will be out of sight. Even if only for five minutes, I want candidates to talk about the issue in their speeches," Shigeo Iizuka, the 78-year-old head of a group representing abductees' families, said Thursday.

Official campaigning for the House of Councilors election began on Wednesday, and North Korea launched what are believed to be two Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles from its east coast the same day.