Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting of the Headquarters on the Abduction Issue (Core Meeting) at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, reports were presented and views were exchanged regarding the recent situation in North Korea, following up on the Act on Aid to Persons Abducted by North Korean Authorities and Other Relevant Persons, and recent developments in the abduction issue.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"I am addressing the abduction issue with the strong determination that my mission will not be complete until the day comes when all of the abductees can be embraced by their very own family members.
We are working vigilantly to collect and analyze information regarding developments in North Korea, including the purge of Jang Sung-taek, while also working closely with the relevant countries. If North Korea has undergone even the slightest of changes that could contribute to resolving the abduction issue, then we must not allow such an opportunity to go to waste.   
I understand that the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is expected to release its final report as early as the middle of this month. Japan will continue to work with the international community to ensure that the follow-up of this final report will also provide major impetus for the early resolution of the abduction issue.
At today's meeting, I look forward to exchanging views on the recent situation in North Korea and on the developments related to the abduction issue, for the early resolution of the abduction issue."