Not Episode But Epitome: North Korea Kidnapped Innocent Citizens

Yoshitaka FukuiNational Association for the Rescue of Japanese

Kidnapped by North Koreaand

Graduate School of International ManagementAoyama Gakuin University

February 3, 2003

1. Before Fall 2002

Why have Kim Jong Il kidnapped Japanese ordinary people?

For espionage activities, they need Japanese language and custom training; Japanese identification; spouses for Japanese and others in North Korea.

However, our story seemed too extraordinary for many if not most people to swallow inside and outside Japan. North Korea and its supporters took advantage of it depicting us as a right-wing fringe group.

2. Pyongyang Summit on 9/17/2002

Kim Jong Il surprisingly admitted their involvement in the kidnapping despite the total denial up to the very day. The case of Ms. Hitomi Soga was more surprising than the other cases because of our ignorance.

Our assertion has been proven true. But…

Those who had questioned our assertion have changed their strategy: Japan did wrongs in the past…

3. Five Abductees Returned on 10/15/2002

For the first time in negotiations with North Korea, we got something substantial without any concession. We have never got anything with continual acquiescence.

Should we return them to reciprocate their “goodwill”? The answer is obvious if posed in a different way: Should once released hostages return to the terrorists’ hideout because the other hostages are still there?

4. Are Only the Five Alive? (1)

North Korea claims five alive, eight dead and the remaining two not entering their territory out of the fifteen victims.

No substantial evidence for the eight “dead” victims. Rather apparently faked documents:

Death certificates of all but one “dead” victims are issued by the same hospital despite they are claimed to have lived in different areas.

Birth dates are mixed up in a signed marriage certificate as well as death ones.

4. Are Only the Five Alive? (2)

Though a self-styled movie producer, Kim Jong Il is no match for Hollywood big names. His team miserably lacks imagination. According to them;

Most of the abductees died in their twenties and thirties of heart attack, car accident, carbon monoxide toxication at home…

All but one tombs have been washed out by floods.

4. Are Only the Five Alive? (3)

Kim Jong Il also seems to underestimate Japanese technological prowess.

Mr. Matsuki’s ashes, the only possibly substantial piece of evidence, was submitted, though twice cremated or so claimed.

DNA test was impossible, as North Korea expected, but Japanese experts found incompletely cremated pieces which are too small for a 170 cm tall young man , that is Mr. Matsuki.

4. Are Only the Five Alive? (4)

Why are the five chosen as “alive” and the others as “dead”?

Alive: Basically no information up to 9/17/02.

Dead: Several substantial pieces of information revealed by defectors and Red Army related people.

Keiko Arimoto was believed to appear to the last minute.

North Korea denies Yaeko Taguchi is Lee Un Hae.

5. Were Only the Fifteen Kidnapped?

The Japanese Government has confirmed fifteen, and made inquires into another three at the resumed talks in October 2002.

We believe four in addition to the eighteen above were also kidnapped, which means twenty-two in total.

Though not definite, more, possibly hundred Japanese were kidnapped. We set up another organization for investigation (COMJAN).

More than 480 South Koreans have been kidnapped, as confirmed by their government.

6. Is It a Tiny Problem Compared to Nuclear

Missiles?

Kidnapping is not an episode suitable for sentimental TV coverage.

Kidnapping has been implemented to facilitate their grand ambition: unification of the peninsula.

It is an example of ongoing terrorist activities. Besides their lies on the other victims, North Korea refuses to let the returned five’s family members in North Korea to go to Japan.

Can we believe their promise concerning the nuclear problem while continuing to lie about the kidnapping and take children as hostages?

7. What We Need and Should Do

We have to let the international community, the United States in particular, know the fact and the nature of the regime.

Kidnapping is the epitome of the evil nature of the North Korean regime and its leader, Kim Jong Il.

Low probability of soft landing whatever we want.

We never know what is enough unless we know what is more than enough.

William Blake