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Families of abducted Japanese to urge ICC to prosecute N Korean leader

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Going to be interesting to see how the court deals with this issue. I am more than a bit surprised that this avenue was not considered or used before. I hope it's not too late.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Too bad South Korea is too busy appeasing NK and reneging on Agreements with Japan. South Korea has more citizens abducted and unaccounted for by NK.

-3 ( +15 / -18 )

why are you doing this now and not in the 70s when it happened? This guy was probably not even born when it happened. give it a rest you are four DECADES too late

4 ( +13 / -9 )

I'm also surprised they didn't try that years ago, instead of just asking the japanese government endlessly... Were they really that gullible all these years ?

Well, if this move can bring some progress, good, but it seems like a long shot.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

Have you any idea of the horror they have been put under ? Breaking them from the peace they live now could open a pandora box that could kill them.

We don't even know if they stayed in north corea. They is an international market for progeny or women.

North corea was known to be a slave seller.

In general, abductee are sold into slavery and do not stay in the country. If they stay they are put into prostitution for women, and low manual task for men. They are of course tortured to be program to never want to go back to their country.

If they live comfortably in Pyongyang, they are survivors. They only did what necessary to survive. Nobody should be humiliated because he survived to horror show. Dying seems easy, but what they break first is your capacity to kill yourself. Those slave where used to test the japaneese limit in comparaison with other races.

At the time, it was pretty much the same everywhere.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

why are you doing this now and not in the 70s when it happened?

Because the LDP government at the time completely ignored the abduction issue even though they knew all about it. They were too busy sucking up to Kim Il Sung and pocketing bribes to restore diplomatic relations with Japan.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I feel sorry for these people, but they have no leverage here, nor does the government.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Pity it wasn't done before but good that it is being attempted now. A conviction in the ICC will ad to the pressure on NK, demonstrate the global disdain for Fat Boy and make harder for China and Russia to support him. All very much to the good.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Dango,

The Japanese citizens aren’t asking for the ICC to arrest Kim Jong Un for kidnapping.

They are asking the ICC to force him to hand over all and any information about the 13 (Kim Jong Il), 17 (Japanese gov’t aka LDP) , 100 (UN), 470 (ICMJPRNK), or 850 (Japan National Police) people North Korea has been accused of kidnapping.

Which brings up the question, why does the Japanese National Police Agency go with 850 but the Japanese gov’t only recognizes 17, five of whom have already been returned?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Good decision and will have to see how the Hague reacts

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Good luck with that, even if the ICC rules in their favor I don't think North Korea will be interested in complying.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

There is no case. Kim Jong Un didn't abduct Japanese, his father did and he is dead.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

borscht

 why does the Japanese National Police Agency go with 850 but the Japanese gov’t only recognizes 17

They are blaming all unsolved missing persons case on North Korea.

But let us remember why North Korea took the Japanese in the first place; they just needed a handful of language and cultural instructors to train their spies, and North Korea doesn't need a lot of those.

So 17 is the correct number.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

There is no case. Kim Jong Un didn't abduct Japanese, his father did and he is dead. exactly even by some miracle they manage to get a ruling against Kim Jong Un, what then , how would you even arrest a head of state. he rarely leaves the country any attempt arrest him could lead to war. Sanctions are the only option and they dont seem to be working . Any ruling would only be symbolic and wouldnt solve the issue, wouldnt probably just make a resolution further out of reach. Sad as it may be this issue is a dead horse.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The article is about Japan, suspected abductions made years ago under different N Korean leadership, appealing to the ICC to prosecute the current N Korean leader for withholding information about those alleged abductions. I sympathize with the families who have missing members but one suspected abductee was located in Japan last year living under the radar, just didn't want to be found.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

wtfjapan: "exactly even by some miracle they manage to get a ruling against Kim Jong Un, what then , how would you even arrest a head of state."

Precisely, and the bottom line is, when it comes to these Olympics and the Koreas, the current air of reunification and promoting peace takes priority to bilateral issues one nation is trying to force on the world. I realize the suffering the families are going through, and the fact that they have little time left to seek resolution, but this is not the time or means to go about it. If it causes any provocation that reverses the aforementioned current atmosphere and striving toward peace and reconciliation, it will be 100% Japan's fault, yet again, for derailing things. And what is the IOC going to do? This is a boon for them, even at the commercial level.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@smithinjapan. Well, said.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

What are they thinking, it's an intolerable burden for the family's but will never be resolved. We have had pledges, promises, urges purley for political shinanigans but it's all too late and resolving it is now not in anyone's interest.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Has there been any idea as to why these Japanese people have been kidnapped.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Dango

One reason is that the International Criminal Court didn't exist until 2002.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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