 right|thumb|in may 2004, north korea allowed the five children of two abducted couples to leave north korea and join their families, who had come back to japan a year and a half before. the abductions of japanese citizens from japan by agents of the north korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983.japanese government internet tv although only 17 japanese (eight men and nine women) are officially recognized by the japanese government as having been abducted,japanese government headquarters for the abduction issue there may have been hundreds of victims.investigation commission on missing japanese probably related to north korea(comjan) the north korean government has officially admitted to abducting 13 japanese citizens. there are testimonies that many non-japanese citizens, including nine european citizens,le figaro article on french abductees have been abducted by north korea.national association for the rescue of japanese kidnapped by north korea some districts in japan fund north korean-run schools, which teach children that the abduction issue was fabricated by japan. government of tokyo == background == most of the missing were in their 20s; the youngest, megumi yokota, was 13 when she disappeared in november 1977, from the japanese west coast city of niigata. the north korean government claims that she committed suicide in march 1994. it is believed that the victims were abducted to teach japanese language and culture at north korean spy schools. older victims were also abducted for the purpose of obtaining their identities, but these abductees are believed to have been killed immediately. it is speculated that japanese women were abducted to have them become wives to a group of north korea-based japan
Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_Korea Anti-Korean_sentiment_in_Japan Crime_in_Denmark Crime_in_Lebanon Espionage_scandals_and_incidents Forced_disappearance Foreign_relations_of_Romania Foreign_relations_of_Thailand Human_rights_in_North_Korea North_Korean_abductions_of_Japanese_citizens