Shigeo Iizuka, who served for 14 years as the head of a group representing families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, died early Saturday morning. He was 83.

Due to poor health, Iizuka stepped down from the post last week, transferring leadership to Takuya Yokota, the younger brother of abductee Megumi Yokota, who has long been seen as a symbolic figure among those taken by North Korea.

A native of Tokyo, Iizuka, whose younger sister, Yaeko Taguchi, was abducted by North Korea, headed the group from 2007, succeeding Yokota's father, Shigeru, who was its first leader.