- Towards the Immediate Rescue of All Abductees!

North Korean Human Rights
Abuses Awareness Week

Essay Competition 2020

Awarded essay

Hosted by the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue, the Government of Japan.
Supported by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Junior High School Category

1st Prize(tentative translation) North Korean abduction
YAMAGUCHI Miyu
8th grade, Kagoshima Municipal Sakamoto Junior High School"Unbelievable."That’s what I thought. She was a junior high school student like me. She had
important family and friends like I do. She was surrounded by people who cherishedher like I am. A casual conversation was what she enjoyed the most. All those werebroken in an instant by those whose names she didn’t even know. When I imagined
it, I felt my heart tightening. At the same time, I got afraid of myself on
realizing that I had never tried to understand the meaning of the posters displayedin the school and ignored them as something that had nothing to do with me.
No matter what words we use in trying to express the feelings of the parents of
Ms. YOKOTA Megumi, I know words could never ever fully express them. I try to
imagine what kind of feelings they carried for twenty years even without knowingthat their darest daughter had been abducted, how they felt when they finallydiscovered that she had been abducted. I am so mortified although I am not evenher family. And the sadness her father and mother felt, I believe, is totally
beyond our understanding. Mr. YOKOTA used to say that he wanted to show Megumi the
new Japan of today. But he passed away without being able to do so.
We have no time to waste. The time left is limited. Then what can we do? To begin
with, I wonder if there is anything that I, a junior high school student, could
do. When I conducted some research, I found out that a variety of measures has
been taken. But, to be honest, I came to a standstill when I realized it was hardfor us to pick a certain solution and carry it out on our own.
Therefore, I came up with three ideas that I can carry out now by myself. The firstis to deepen my understanding. I can seach the Internet or watch TV programs tofind out what happened in the past and what the situation is at present, and, thus,
learn what I didn’t know. The second is to raised awareness of many people. WhenI watched the anime “Megumi,” I wanted many people to watch it. I actually
introduced the anime to one of my friends who had little idea about the North
Korean abductions issue. The friend said that he/she has bee shocked and had cried.

We can also write an essay, like I am doing right now, make a report, or write in
the newspaper on the abductions issue. These are the things we can do. The third
is to cherish the happiness hidden in the ordinary. The happiness of being able tolive with family, laugh with friends watch our favorite TV programs, and eat hot
meals. There are so many. It is not easy to live keeping these ideas constantly in
mind, but I want to be someone who can naturally feel grateful.
The number of people deprived of their freedom by abductions is not one or two.
Their families are still struggling and fighting in despair. I have resolved that
I will never forget their abductions, the act of depriving them of their freedom,which should never happen again, and I will keep doing what I can do now.

Junior High School Category

2nd Prize(tentative translation) What we should do
TAKAYAMA Manaka
9th grade, Seki Municipal Midorigaoka Junior High School

Every day, I enjoy doing what I want to do. I thought there were only people who
lived freely in Japan after the war. Then, the other day, in a social studies classat school, I learned that Ms. Yokota Megumi, a 13-year-old girl, younger than I,
was indiscriminately abducted by North Korea. It caused a pain in my chest. The
pain worsened when I imagined myself, or my family, being abducted. As I heardthat 16 people besides Ms. YOKOTA Megumi had been abducted, I used the Internet
during the summer vacation to research the abductions issue.
When I heard the phrase "abductions issue," I used to think that it must have
happened a long time ago. But I learnt that it happened only 40 years ago. I felt
more closer to this issue, and it scared me. Like Ms. YOKOTA Megumi, most of thevictims are unable to return to their families. I wondered why North Korea would
do such a terrible thing. "I was robbed of everything except my life." This iswhat Mr. HASUIKE Kaoru, an abductee, said about the incident. When I heard his
words, I thought I would never try to seek profit by depriving others of theirfreedom. I could not believe that they could do such a thing as a same human being.
Meanwhile, I learned that the families of the abductees formed the "Association of
Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea" (AFVKN). The sadness of losing afamily member must have been beyond words, and the family members must have sufferedso much. Even in such a situation, they regarded the incident as "something theymust not forget" rather than avoiding it as an "something they do not want toremember," believing that they will reunite again. I was impressed by the strengthof their belief.
I investigated what we could do to deal with this ongoing abductions issue andlearned that the AFVKN members had been conducting activities gathering signatureson the streets. In Gifu prefecture, one will be held at Gifu station on January
11, 2020. The collected signatures, I heard, will be used to arouse public opinion
for the return of all victims. I think this is an activity that enables us tocooperate with the abductees and their families. I would like to participate inhelping my fellow Japanese citizens. I don't think it's good that people are
beginning to regard the abductions issue as something that happened long ago, likeI did before hearing the story in class. The victims’ families would never forget
it. Therefore, we need to learn about the incident and never forget it.
The issue of abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea is a violation of humanrights and should never be tolerated. "Human rights" means "the right of all tosecure life and freedom and pursue their own well-being." Abduction violates thatright.
In writing this composition, I learned about the abduction, an incident that should
never have occurred, and was able to find out what I would be able to do. I hopethat all the victims can return to their home countries as soon as possible andthey can enjoy their freedom.

Junior High School Category

2nd Prize(tentative translation) What we should think about now
NIGORISAWA Mihane
9th grade, Shizuoka Municipal Ando Junior High School

What do you think about the North Korean abductions issue? I strongly feel that
more people should be more interested in this issue so that it does not become athing of the past.
It was when I watched the news of Mr. YOKOTA Shigeru's death reported in June thisyear that I became interested in the abductions issue. I learned that the reunionwith his daughter Ms. YOKOTA Megumi, who had been abducted by North Korea 42 years
ago, had not happen. It has been about 18 years since the details of the abductions
came to light. On learning about Shigeru, who was said to be a symbol of people
seeking the return of the abductees, I was driven by a strong urge to do something.
"Have a good day," the last words they exchanged, were as casual as usual. The
reality of the abductions issue packed into an anime of about 25 minutes was totally
beyond my imagination. The anime "Megumi" is based on the story of Shigeru and his
wife, Sakie. What I felt many times while watching the video was the pain tightening
my chest.
"In addition to having my voice totally muffled, I was put in a situation where I
couldn’t move my body. I was pressed so hard. I was put on a ship after dark.
This is the reality of the abduction," said Mr. HASUIKE Kaoru, one of the victims,
in an interview explaining his situation at that time. Megumi experienced theincident when she was in the first year of the junior high school. Her age at thetime of the abduction was close to mine now, which intensified the fear I felt
when I imagined something like that happening to me. That fear made my whole body
shudder. Megumi's daily life, which she was supposed to enjoy, collapsed in a
moment.
What surprised me most was that it took about 25 years to discover the abduction.
Till then, there had been no clue about her. Megumi’s family just had to keep
waiting for her return in such a situation. The sadness they felt, I thought, could
never be understood by anyone other than her family.

It was at the Japan-North Korea summit meeting on September 17, three years before
I was born, that the issue of her being reported "missing" began to be referred toas the "abduction issue." North Korea acknowledged the abductions and apologized.
In the following month, five victims returned to Japan. It should have been a rayof hope for Shigeru, who believing in his daughter's return, kept working with all
kinds of conflicts in his mind.
Until today, no major progress has been made in the abductions issue. I now feelthat this incident is being forgotten. Now that the reunion of Megumi’s family
has not come true, isn’t it the time to take this issue more seriously? We should
be interested in what is happening "now" rather than dismissing it as an "old"story. We should fell and relay what we have learned to others. What I can do now
may be really insignificant, but I have a belief: the day will come when trivial
actions will become a source of optimism for the future. I strongly hope thatpeople’s interest in the abductions issue will increase and that it will be solvedsoon.

High School Category

1st Prize(tentative translation) Take a step out of a "bystander"
YAMAGUCHI Rinka
11th grade, Ehime Prefectural Imabari Kita High School"I wasn't born to be abducted."
If I were to describe Ms.Megumi’s thoughts on her behalf, I would use thissentence.
“Mother, who gently calls me Megumi-chan. Dad, who always happily takes my pictures.
Naughty but cute little brothers. Every-one is my dear and irreplaceable family.
I love them so much and want to see them. I’m dying to see them.”
Last November, I visited Megumi’s abduction site in Niigata prefecture. The placelooked like an ordinary cityscape with a quiet residential area. However, I foundsignboards standing there to appeal for information about this abduction case,which evoked quite overwhelming feelings. As I walked on, the area, overlappingwith the scene I saw in the anime "Megumi," caused a sudden heaviness in my stomach.
Megumi's fate changed on this very road I had just walked on. Megumi was abducted
while she was walking home from her junior high school. She left school with two
friends at 6:30 pm and has not returned home to date. Neither the situation nor
the suffering has changed. Time elapsed mercilessly, and the most terrible thing
happened.
-Mr. YOKOTA Shigeru, Megumi’s father, passed away.The words that appeared in the newsflash shook me in an instant. He left without
being able to rewrite the memory of Megumi at the age of thirteen. His tears
overlapped mine.
It is not uncommon for the abductees’ family members like Mr.YOKOTA Shigeru todie before getting a chance to reunite with their loved ones. Many in Japan were
unaware of this fact. Or, even if we did know, did not take action. Many people
all over Japan, I assume, must have shed tears at his obituary. Nevertheless,ephemeral tears are nothing but mere sympathy. No matter how much they mean it, itremains someone else’s grief. We have not questioned the world remaining unchanged

for forty-three years. We have just kept on observing it as bystanders. And now,
we observe the result. The abducted side is, of course, to blame. Nonetheless, it
is also the responsibility of all of us, Japanese people, to correct the situation.
There are many things that an individual can do while macrocosmically grasping thesituation as a national issue. For example, you could participate in international
symposiums and listen to the voices of abductee’s family from around the world.
You could also post your thoughts in this way, like I am doing now. You can startwith a small step. There is no limit to what you can do. In order to put an end to
this issue, each and every citizen needs to be willing to collaborate with thegovernment. Let us ask ourselves again: Are we going to silently allow this
preposterous and inhumane act of "abduction" to be forgotten? The answer isabsolutely "NO!" We need to make North Korea recognize and apologize for theabduction and promise never again to do such a ruthless act. A world where all canenjoy human rights as is naturally guaranteed and live life in peace should prevail.
All abductees should be released and return to their hometowns as soon as possible.
"We must have been born with freedom naturally endowed!"

High School Category

2nd Prize(tentative translation) Regain freedom
MINAMI Soma
10th grade, Keiai Gakuen Senior High School

I had never pondered on the North Korean abductions issue. It was because I thought
somewhere in my mind, "It has nothing to do with me." The other day, I watched theanime "Megumi" to write this composition. It made me directly face the tragic
reality of the North Korean abductions issue and realize how inaccurate theperception I had earlier was. Megumi desperately screamed for help when she wasforcibly carried into a tanker. Her horrified screams made me realize that thiswas never somebody else’s problem.
On June 5, 2020, Megumi's father, Mr. YOKOTA Shigeru, passed away. He devoted thelatter half of his life to the campaign for Megumi's return. The regret anddisconsolation he must have felt when passing away without being reunited with
Megumi is totally beyond my imagination. However, we can inherit his desire torescue Megumi.
In order to resolve this problem, I think it is important for us, as the Japanesepeople, to become interested in the abductions issue and transmit our opinions.
One way to get more people to know about the abductions issue is to use social
media. For example, a government-led discussion on social media, I think, would be
effective. When we use them, I believe that even people who would usually never goout to attend events or who are not good at interpersonal activities could easily
participate and exchange all kinds of opinions with other people.
The Japanese are not the only victims of abduction. Currently, we know that victims
from fourteen countries were abducted. In order to get the abductees back, we needto cooperate with these countries. I would like to propose that the abducteecountries create an organization that is independent of world situations and exists
for the sole purpose of rescuing the abductees. If the abductee countries continue
to appeal together to the international community, I think it can put considerablepressure on North Korea.
Abduction is a serious human rights issue that robs people’s freedom. We musttake this issue gravely and work toward a resolution. I have pondered on what I
can do now to resolve the abductions issue. One of my answers is to use social
media to increase the number of people who are interested in the abductions issue.
When more people than now become aware that the abductions issue is a "problem
that must be resolved,” it will be a big step toward the resolution. Anotheranswer is to wear a blue ribbon badge. When we purchase one, we are actually sending
support money and expressing our intention to demand the return of the abductees.
It is the voice and action of each one of us that support the resolution of theabductions issue by North Korea. Isn't it time for each and every citizen to speakup, cooperate with other countries, and confront North Korea?

High School Category

2nd Prize(tentative translation) We will never give up
SOMIYA Madoka
11th grade, St. Mary's Girls' High School

Do imagine. Your close family members, friends, or lover is abducted. Suddenly
they are taken to an unknown country. You should never consider the abductions
issue by North Korea as another person's affairs.
It was the panel exhibition I saw at the age of ten at Niigata Airport that inspired
me to think about the abductions issue. The anime "Megumi" I saw there shocked mewhen I was very young. I still remember the horror I felt at that time. The otherday, the news came in that Mr. YOKOTA Shigeru had passed away. Now, as a highschool student, I pondered about what I can do.
The abductees’ families have never given up and are still waiting for them toreturn. As the family members are aging, eight parents have died without being
able to reunite with their children even after the 2002 Japan-North Korea summit
meeting. In 2020, Mr. YOKOTA Shigeru and Mrs. ARIMOTO Kayoko died without reuniting
with their daughters. Mrs. ARIMOTO used to say in her messages, "I want to stayhealthy until Keiko returns." My heart ached at her words. The North Korean
abductions issue must be resolved as soon as possible.
What we, as high school students, can do is recognizing, researching, andunderstanding the abductions issue. Ms. YOKOTA Megumi was abducted when she wasthirteen years old. It is important for those in the same generation to recognize
this fact and have a sense of ownership of the issue. Then, it will prevent the
younger generations from losing interest. It is necessary to instill more the"North Korea Human Rights Abuses Awareness Week", which is held from December 10th
to 16th every year. We should take advantage of this week to have our schools
prepare a place to learn about the abductions issue and exchange ideas. In an
attempt to enable all elementary and junior high school students to gain awarenessabout the abductions issue, I would like the school authorities to incorporate aneven just one-hour class into the curriculum. Creating an opportunity for students
to learn about the abductions issue and ponder on it will be a step toward resolving
the issue.

My aunt was ten years old in 1977, when Megumi went missing. When my aunt was ahigh school student, there were already rumors in Niigata prefecture that Megumi
was abducted by North Korea. However, it wasn't until many years later that theyreceived an official confirmation of the abduction. In those days, my aunt used tocasually talk about the rumor without any thought. She now regrets this and imaginesthat something might have changed if people, including her, had requested thegovernment to investigate and public opinion had arisen at that time. It is, I
believe, a duty of the young generations to disseminate the information without
regarding it as the role of the government or adults. For example, social media isa good way to express our opinions. Political contents will necessarily draw not
only favorable responses but also criticism. Nevertheless, the resulting
controversy should help us to recognize the abductions issue and prevent it frombeing forgotten.
Here is what we could do. First, let each and every one of us get to know about
the North Korean abductions issue. Then, let us have an opinion and transmit it,
resuming our efforts, and, thus, making it grow into a great force. We shall nevergive up until the issue is resolved.

English Essay Category

1st Prize

Abduction is not just a matter of Japan and North Korea: It is a global issue
HIRANO Eri
11th grade, Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School

North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals have long been an outstanding issue
between the two countries. According to the Japanese government, 17 Japanesecitizens are identified as abduction victims. Five of them were repatriated in
2002 after then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il admitted to the abductions. The
abductees are allegedly compelled to train North Korean spies with the Japanese
language, customs and culture. Abduction is a deprivation of human rights andfreedom, and it reflects Pyongyang's contempt toward humanity and the international
community.
Amid a lack of tangible progress of the issue, Japan lost one of the strongest
advocates this year. Shigeru Yokota , the father of Megumi Yokota who was kidnappedby North Korean agents at age 13 in 1977, passed away. He and his wife, Sakie
Yokota, called for the return of theirloving daughter and other abductees for morethan 40 years which left a significant impact in Japan and the world in terms ofdisseminating information about the North Korean abduction. I could never imagine
the pain Mr. and Mrs. Yokota suffered for not being able to see Megumi for so long.
In the absence of diplomatic ties between Japan and North Korea, I think thatreinforcing coordination with the United States, China and South Korea, countries
that can influence North Korea, is vital for pushing forward the issue. Recognizing
the North Korean abduction as a "global issue" and putting stronger internationalpressure on the country could force North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve
this human rights violation. As Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in hisvideo address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, we have notime to lose as the families of the victims continue to age. Prime Minister Suga
also said he is ready to meet with Mr. Kim "without any conditions."
As a minor, what I can do for the abduction issue may be limited. However, I believethat delivering messages of the tragedy through this essay and discussing with myfriends and other youths abroad could enhance awareness of the issue. Encouraging
people to closely watch Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons and missiles,

which pose a threat to the international community, is also important to promote
understanding on what kind of a country North Korea is.
Since I spent a part of my childhood in Beijing, I have a great interest in Japan's
relations with China and diplomatic issues in broader Asia. I also like South
Korean entertainment culture, so I have been studying the Korean and Chinese
languages in addition to English. I believe learning the Korean language is a good
way to know North Korea's perspectives on the abductions of Japanese nationals,
regional security, and other issues. I would like to continue such studies so I
can hopefully contribute to a resolution of the abduction issue.