N Korea says Japanese abductee alive in Pyongyang

@ Samit Basu

All Japanese abductees lived privileged lives in Pyongyang, so I am not sure if they would want to return to Japan now.

Wow. You are / were in North Korea !

At least I had thought you have been posting comments from a civiliized country.

So where are all the posters now who constantly berate Japan to "give it up" because the abductees are all dead and never coming back?

If other abductees ages are now around 60-70, a little more must be alive.

All Japanese abductees lived privileged lives in Pyongyang, so I am not sure if they would want to return to Japan now.

You have got to be joking. Privileged lives?? Privileged for a North Korean maybe...

Of course, after this many years trapped there, they probably believe the propaganda that they are in paradise compared the rest of the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/north-korea-a-day-in-the-life-pyongyang

Leave them be already.

Never. The issue is NOT resolved. PM Abe has vowed many times that he will not rest until each and every abductee has been returned home. I pray Chairman Kim comes to Tokyo to meet PM Abe for the big Summit soon.

And what will Abe san offer in return? Kim doesn't meet foreign leaders for free.

Big Japanese investment, once ALL abductees have been accounted for. Japanese government can invest in NK airports, shinkansen, hospitals, set up food manufacturing plant etc. But the PM Abe-Chairman Kim Summit will negotiate all the deals first.

All Japanese abductees lived privileged lives in Pyongyang

I doubt this. It is likely they are in house prison, and desperately wish to come home. Only NK elite have life of mega luxury.

So the matter isn't settled?

so I am not sure if they would want to return to Japan now.

as if they would have any say in the matter

I doubt this point.

The two men, who are said to have fathered children after arriving in North Korea, do not wish to return to Japan, the official said.

They could not tell anybody their real intentsion especillay if it is homecoming.

My question is why it turned out at this moment, 5 years since it was told and have been kept secret.

A priviledged North Korean is much better off than ordinary Japanese

A privileged North Korean is someone who made it out alive.

The two men, who are said to have fathered children after arriving in North Korea, do not wish to return to Japan, the official said.

> All Japanese abductees lived privileged lives in Pyongyang, so I am not sure if they would want to return to Japan now.

All North Koreans do not live privileged lives in Japan, so I hope they would all return to North Korea.

Following sources are all Japanese. Sorry for those who cannot read them.

KYODO itself already reported

Mar. 16, 2018

https://this.kiji.is/347307569550902369

and other news sources as well

https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/zenkoku/compact/201803/0011074466.shtml

https://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/20180317/pol18031705020001-n1.html

also some discussion between Yosifu Arita and PM. Abe in

Budget Committee of House of Councilors

Nov. 7, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0phO3aYq-co&t=16420s

There seems no update on the news since then. Weird...

@extanker

Privileged lives?? Privileged for a North Korean maybe

A priviledged North Korean is much better off than ordinary Japanese. 

Seriously, priviledged Africans live much better than ordinary Americans or Japanese.

Do you have a straight face when you say these things? The only people who live actual privileged lives in North Korea are Kim Jung Un and his inner circle. A regular 'privileged' North Korean probably doesn't even own a car. I guess eating on a regular basis is 'privileged'.

And how did you even bring Africa into this? I mean, you're right that privileged Africans have it good, but they also aren't held hostage by their insane 'Dear Leader'.

Of course, after this many years trapped there, they probably believe the propaganda that they are in paradise compared the rest of the world.

Fujimoto Kenji, Kim Jong Il's personal chef, returned to North Korea on his own will and opened a restaurant in Pyongyang in 2017. https://nationalpost.com/travel/sushi-in-pyongyang-a-japanese-chef-has-opened-a-rare-restaurant-in-north-korea

Of course Kim Jong Il's personal chef is going to be better off than others. Would you treat the guy you want to make you gourmet food like crap? Get real dude.

There are Japanese several red army members who got asylum in North Korea and they seemed to be doing well when a Japanese TV network interviewed them.

Hahahaha! When a Japanese TV network interviewed them? As if a North Korean propaganda minister hadn't explained to them what will happen to them if they make their great leader look bad to the international community.

An average Japanese guy that was kidnapped, or even defected, is not going to be living any sort of 'high life' in North Korea. To think so is a fantasy.

"Big Japanese investment, once ALL abductees have been accounted for." 

For some, there's always a one-word answer in response to what Japan can offer Russia, North Korea, etc. in exchange for getting what the Japanese government wants from them: Investment. Got news for you: The year isn't 1987. Japan is no longer some unstoppable economic juggernaut capable of throwing money around like it's nothing. The government in Tokyo hasn't been able to do all that much to help revive the fortunes of the Tohoku region, 8 years after 3/11. What makes anybody think Japan in 2019 can pour unlimited amounts of money into North Korea?

I still have doubts if these people were actually abducted or just left Japan.

Bet any money Trump is going to take credit for this, and Abe will jump on the coat tails!

(This announcement coming prior to US-NK summit!)

@extanker

Privileged lives?? Privileged for a North Korean maybe

A priviledged North Korean is much better off than ordinary Japanese. 

Seriously, priviledged Africans live much better than ordinary Americans or Japanese.

Of course, after this many years trapped there, they probably believe the propaganda that they are in paradise compared the rest of the world.

Fujimoto Kenji, Kim Jong Il's personal chef, returned to North Korea on his own will and opened a restaurant in Pyongyang in 2017. https://nationalpost.com/travel/sushi-in-pyongyang-a-japanese-chef-has-opened-a-rare-restaurant-in-north-korea

There are Japanese several red army members who got asylum in North Korea and they seemed to be doing well when a Japanese TV network interviewed them.

@Ganbare Japan!

Big Japanese investment

Why do you get the idea that North Koreans welcome Japanese investment?

Japanese government can invest in NK airports, shinkansen, hospitals, set up food manufacturing plant etc.

The ROK will do all that, free of charge.

Leave them be already.

@Ganbare Japan

I pray Chairman Kim comes to Tokyo to meet PM Abe for the big Summit soon.

And what will Abe san offer in return? Kim doesn't meet foreign leaders for free.

For example, Kim is getting a non-aggression agreement with the US in exchange for his Hanoi summit with Trump. And Trump is already talking about his Nobel Peace Prize again.

@OssanJapan

So where are all the posters now who constantly berate Japan to "give it up" because the abductees are all dead and never coming back?

All Japanese abductees lived privileged lives in Pyongyang, so I am not sure if they would want to return to Japan now.

After all, they were somebody in North Korea, but nobody in Japan.