Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday announced that North Korea has agreed to launch a re-investigation into Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents in late 1970s and early ’80s.

“During (the) Japan-North Korea official talks in Sweden, North Korea promised Japan to conduct a comprehensive and full-scale investigation into abductees and other missing persons cases,” Abe said at a nationally televised press conference on Thursday.

“For the Abe administration, the overall resolution of the abduction issue is a top agenda,” Abe also said. “I hope this will be the first step leading to a complete settlement of this