Relatives of Japanese people kidnapped by North Korea decades ago urged the reclusive country Sunday to release the abduction victims.

"We want you to release our beloved family members held as hostages," Takuya Yokota, head of an association of families of abductees, told a news conference in Tokyo, making a plea to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The news conference was held after members of the association, including Yokota, 56, returned from a trip to the United States earlier in the day.

During the visit, the association members and Japanese lawmakers working to realize the return of abductees met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and other U.S. officials in Washington to seek their cooperation to resolve the major humanitarian issue as early as possible.

This was the first visit to the U.S. by members of the association since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.

At the news conference, Yokota said, "Meeting with key persons (in the U.S. administration) itself will be a strong pressure (on North Korea)."

"It was meaningful for us to be able to confirm (with the U.S.) that Japan will never compromise on the abduction issue," he said. "We must never give up," Yokota said.

Yokota's sister, Megumi, was abducted to North Korea in 1977 at the age of 13.