Lee Sinhwa "Fully Sharing the Pain of Families of Japanese Abductees"

Remarks at the International Symposium Hosted by the Japanese Government

Lee Sinhwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, is speaking at an international symposium on the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea, hosted by the Japanese government in Tokyo on the 10th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Lee Sinhwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, stated, "We fully share the pain and anger of the families of Japanese abductees."

On the afternoon of the 10th, Lee attended an international symposium on the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea held in Tokyo, Japan, as a panel discussant, saying, "There are also victims of abduction by North Korea in our country."

He added, "We fully support the Japanese government's continuous and tireless efforts to resolve the abduction issue."

Lee was appointed in July as South Korea's Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, a position that had been vacant for about five years since 2017.

The Japanese government claims that 17 Japanese citizens were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, and except for five who returned to Japan after then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to North Korea in September 2002, 12 remain in North Korea and demands their repatriation. On the other hand, North Korea maintains that eight of the 12 have died and the remaining four never came to North Korea.

The Japanese government has held an international symposium every year to discuss the issue of Japanese abductions by North Korea. This year, Ambassador Lee and Elizabeth Salm?n, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, participated as panel discussants, and Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, along with families of Japanese abductees, also attended the symposium.