The U.S. remains “deeply concerned” about North Korean abductions, the State Department said Wednesday, following a meeting between Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman and representatives of two organizations representing families of kidnapees.

Sherman hosted the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFVKN) and the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN) in Washington this week, along with Japanese lawmakers visiting the capital.