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North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens

Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:07:05 PM Wikipedia source

Between 1977 and 1983, North Korean government agents abducted Japanese citizens from Japan. Although only 17 Japanese citizens (eight men and nine women) are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, it is estimated that there may have been hundreds more. Many non-Japanese citizens, including eight citizens from European countries and one from the Middle East, have been abducted from Japan by North Korea.

Tables

· List of victims
Yutaka Kume
Yutaka Kume
Name
Yutaka Kume
Sex
Male
Born
c. 1925
Circumstances of disappearance
Disappeared September 19, 1977 from Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture
Current status
North Korea denies any involvement.
Minoru Tanaka
Minoru Tanaka
Name
Minoru Tanaka
Sex
c. 1950
Born
Disappeared in June 1978. Persuaded to go overseas, and later taken to North Korea.
Circumstances of disappearance
North Korea denies any involvement, Japanese government announced in February 2019 that Tanaka is alive and living in Pyongyang.
Kyoko Matsumoto
Kyoko Matsumoto
Name
Kyoko Matsumoto
Sex
Female
Born
1948
Circumstances of disappearance
Disappeared on October 21, 1977, on her way to a knitting class near her home
Current status
North Korea denies any involvement.
Keiko Arimoto
Keiko Arimoto
Name
Keiko Arimoto
Sex
January 12, 1960
Born
Disappeared in June 1983 from Copenhagen, Denmark. She had previously been studying English in London.
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on November 4, 1988, in North Korea. However, her parents still refuse to believe their daughter is dead until the North provides irrefutable evidence.
Megumi Yokota
Megumi Yokota
Name
Megumi Yokota
Sex
October 15, 1964
Born
Disappeared November 15, 1977 from Niigata, Niigata Prefecture
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on March 13, 1994, in North Korea (date was originally announced as 1993 but was later corrected by North Korea). However, her parents still refuse to believe their daughter is dead until the North provides irrefutable evidence.
Yaeko Taguchi
Yaeko Taguchi
Name
Yaeko Taguchi
Sex
August 10, 1955
Born
Disappeared in June 1978 from Tokyo, Japan.
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on July 30, 1986, in North Korea. However, Kim Hyon-hui, the surviving bomber of Korean Air Flight 858, denied North Korea's claim.
Yasushi Chimura
Yasushi Chimura
Name
Yasushi Chimura
Sex
Male
Born
June 4, 1955
Circumstances of disappearance
Disappeared together on July 7, 1978, near coast of Obama, Fukui.
Current status
Alive (returned in 2002)
Fukie Hamamoto
Fukie Hamamoto
Name
Fukie Hamamoto
Sex
Female
Born
June 8, 1955
Kaoru Hasuike
Kaoru Hasuike
Name
Kaoru Hasuike
Sex
Male
Born
September 29, 1957
Circumstances of disappearance
Disappeared together on July 31, 1978, from the coast of Kashiwazaki, Niigata.
Yukiko Okudo
Yukiko Okudo
Name
Yukiko Okudo
Sex
Female
Born
April 15, 1956
Hitomi Soga
Hitomi Soga
Name
Hitomi Soga
Sex
May 17, 1959
Born
Disappeared together on August 12, 1978, from Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture
Circumstances of disappearance
Alive (returned in 2002). Married Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, a 1965 deserter from the United States Army, in 1980, and returned to Japan with him in 2004.
Miyoshi Soga
Miyoshi Soga
Name
Miyoshi Soga
Sex
c. 1932
Born
North Korea denies any involvement. However, Hitomi Soga, Miyoshi's daughter, denied North Korea's claim.
Rumiko Masumoto
Rumiko Masumoto
Name
Rumiko Masumoto
Sex
November 1, 1954
Born
Disappeared together on August 12, 1978, from Fukiage, Kagoshima Prefecture
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on August 17, 1981, in North Korea
Shuichi Ichikawa
Shuichi Ichikawa
Name
Shuichi Ichikawa
Sex
Male
Born
October 20, 1954
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on September 4, 1979, in North Korea
Toru Ishioka
Toru Ishioka
Name
Toru Ishioka
Sex
June 29, 1957
Born
Disappeared in May 1980 from Madrid, Spain during a trip in Europe
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on November 4, 1988, in North Korea
Kaoru Matsuki
Kaoru Matsuki
Name
Kaoru Matsuki
Sex
June 23, 1953
Born
Allegedly died on August 23, 1996, in North Korea
Tadaaki Hara
Tadaaki Hara
Name
Tadaaki Hara
Sex
August 10, 1936
Born
Disappeared in June 1980 from Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture
Circumstances of disappearance
Allegedly died on July 19, 1986, in North Korea
Name
Sex
Born
Circumstances of disappearance
Current status
Yutaka Kume
Male
c. 1925
Disappeared September 19, 1977 from Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture
North Korea denies any involvement.
Minoru Tanaka
c. 1950
Disappeared in June 1978. Persuaded to go overseas, and later taken to North Korea.
North Korea denies any involvement, Japanese government announced in February 2019 that Tanaka is alive and living in Pyongyang.
Kyoko Matsumoto
Female
1948
Disappeared on October 21, 1977, on her way to a knitting class near her home
North Korea denies any involvement.
Keiko Arimoto
January 12, 1960
Disappeared in June 1983 from Copenhagen, Denmark. She had previously been studying English in London.
Allegedly died on November 4, 1988, in North Korea. However, her parents still refuse to believe their daughter is dead until the North provides irrefutable evidence.
Megumi Yokota
October 15, 1964
Disappeared November 15, 1977 from Niigata, Niigata Prefecture
Allegedly died on March 13, 1994, in North Korea (date was originally announced as 1993 but was later corrected by North Korea). However, her parents still refuse to believe their daughter is dead until the North provides irrefutable evidence.
Yaeko Taguchi
August 10, 1955
Disappeared in June 1978 from Tokyo, Japan.
Allegedly died on July 30, 1986, in North Korea. However, Kim Hyon-hui, the surviving bomber of Korean Air Flight 858, denied North Korea's claim.
Yasushi Chimura
Male
June 4, 1955
Disappeared together on July 7, 1978, near coast of Obama, Fukui.
Alive (returned in 2002)
Fukie Hamamoto
Female
June 8, 1955
Kaoru Hasuike
Male
September 29, 1957
Disappeared together on July 31, 1978, from the coast of Kashiwazaki, Niigata.
Yukiko Okudo
Female
April 15, 1956
Hitomi Soga
May 17, 1959
Disappeared together on August 12, 1978, from Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture
Alive (returned in 2002). Married Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, a 1965 deserter from the United States Army, in 1980, and returned to Japan with him in 2004.
Miyoshi Soga
c. 1932
North Korea denies any involvement. However, Hitomi Soga, Miyoshi's daughter, denied North Korea's claim.
Rumiko Masumoto
November 1, 1954
Disappeared together on August 12, 1978, from Fukiage, Kagoshima Prefecture
Allegedly died on August 17, 1981, in North Korea
Shuichi Ichikawa
Male
October 20, 1954
Allegedly died on September 4, 1979, in North Korea
Toru Ishioka
June 29, 1957
Disappeared in May 1980 from Madrid, Spain during a trip in Europe
Allegedly died on November 4, 1988, in North Korea
Kaoru Matsuki
June 23, 1953
Allegedly died on August 23, 1996, in North Korea
Tadaaki Hara
August 10, 1936
Disappeared in June 1980 from Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture
Allegedly died on July 19, 1986, in North Korea

References

  1. Japanese Government Internet TV
    https://web.archive.org/web/20181216111324/https://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/eng/prg/prg1786.html
  2. "Individual Cases - 17 Abductees Identified by the Government of Japan"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20180906070923/http://www.rachi.go.jp/en/ratimondai/jian.html
  3. "Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related to N (COMJAN)"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20161101225515/http://www.chosa-kai.jp/indexeng.htm
  4. Le Figaro
    http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2008/04/21/01003-20080421ARTFIG00614-les-captives-etrangeresde-la-coree-du-nord.php
  5. Sukuukai
    http://www.sukuukai.jp/narkn/
  6. The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia
    https://books.google.com/books?id=FHpYCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA24
  7. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/korea/article/0,2763,812524,00.html
  8. Taken! North Korea's Criminal Abduction of Citizens of Other Countries (p. 33)
    https://www.hrnk.org/uploads/pdfs/Taken_LQ.pdf
  9. "Abduction of Japanese Citizens by North Korea"
    http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/n_korea/abduction/pdfs/abductions_en.pdf
  10. The New Yorker
    http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/north-koreas-abduction-project
  11. HuffPost
    https://web.archive.org/web/20160108230900/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yuriko-koike/japan-isis-hostage-crisis_b_6564404.html
  12. Slate Magazine
    https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/08/why-north-korea-kidnapped-japanese-citizens.html
  13. "Snatched from a beach to train North Korea's spies"
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55651578
  14. International Herald Tribune
    https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/world/asia/17iht-japan.3928633.html
  15. Japan Times
    http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/eo20061120gc.html
  16. International Herald Tribune
    https://web.archive.org/web/20061226200308/http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/25/opinion/edlettues.php
  17. "盗聴されているのを承知で、 「拉致について金正日が謝罪しないなら席を立つ」 とわざと言って、金正日に謝罪させた、 というのは有名な話だ。"
    https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/8362?display=full
  18. Kirby, Michael Donald
    http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoIDPRK/Report/A.HRC.25.CRP.1_ENG.doc
  19. "Points of Contention with the North Korean Position"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20171009195706/http://www.rachi.go.jp/en/mondaiten/#mondai3
  20. "Abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea"
    http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/n_korea/abduction/pdfs/abductions_en.pdf
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