Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� September, 2002

Prime Minister Koizumi Meets Families of Abductees Friday, September 27, 2002 At the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. During the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi explained that the Government is resolved to doing its utmost to fully resolve the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals. In tackling this issue, the Government established the Special Working Group on the Issue of Abduction of Japanese Nationals by North Korea to be chaired by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe under the Council of Ministers on the Normalization Talks between Japan and North Korea, designated former Ambassador to Uzbekistan Kyoko Nakayama as Special Adviser to the Cabinet Secretariat to act as a liaison with the family members of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, and set up a special team of officials from concerned ministries and agencies within the Cabinet Secretariat. An investigation team of the Government is to enter North Korea on September 28 in order to determine the relevant facts.