North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens
Abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government took place during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. Although only 17 Japanese are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, there may have been hundreds of others. The North Korean government has officially admitted to abducting 13 Japanese citizens.
In May 2004, North Korea allowed the five children of two abducted couples to leave North Korea and join their families, who had come back to Japan a year and a half before.
Sakie Yokota, the mother of the abducted girl Megumi Yokota, meets with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House in April 2006.
Badge worn in support of returning victims to Japan (often worn as lapel pin [ja])
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, abbreviated as Chongryon or Chōsen Sōren , is one of two main organisations for Zainichi Koreans, the other being Mindan. It has close ties to North Korea and functions as North Korea's de facto embassy in Japan, as there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries. The organisation is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and there are prefectural and regional head offices and branches throughout Japan.
Former headquarters of Ch'ongryŏn, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Classroom at Tokyo Korean High School with photographs of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il
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