North Korea has agreed to conduct a re-investigation into Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and ’80s. In return, Japan has promised to ease sanctions on Pyongyang once the reinvestigation officially starts.
So, can we expect key Japanese abductees such as Megumi Yokota to return from North Korea? Will this fresh agreement by Tokyo and Pyongyang lead to the normalization of bilateral relations? Will this open the gates for Japan’s wartime reparations towards North Korea in future? The chances for all of these things are slim.
North Korea has agreed to conduct a re-investigation into Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and ’80s. In return, Japan has promised to ease sanctions on Pyongyang once the reinvestigation officially starts.
So, can we expect key Japanese abductees such as Megumi Yokota to return from North Korea? Will this fresh agreement by Tokyo and Pyongyang lead to the normalization of bilateral relations? Will this open the gates for Japan’s wartime reparations towards North Korea in future? The chances for all of these things are slim.
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