The mother of a Japanese national abducted by North Korea in 1977 called Thursday for talks between the leaders of the two countries to the resolve issue as soon as possible.

"Dialogue between the leaders is the shortest way to resolve the problem. I would appreciate it if such a day comes," Sakie Yokota said during a session of a Diet special committee on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.

Last month marked the 40th anniversary of Megumi Yokota's abduction by North Korean agents at age 13 while on her way home from school in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.

Sakie Yokota, 81, said at the session, "Nothing has moved forward since (Megumi) disappeared like smoke in Niigata."

"Besides Megumi, more people have been calling for help. I expect (the government) to exercise wisdom," she said.

Relatives of the abductees met U.S. President Donald Trump in Tokyo last month, during which Trump vowed to make efforts to help resolve the issue.


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Touching on the meeting, Shigeo Iizuka, whose younger sister Yaeko Taguchi was kidnapped in 1978 at age 22, said, "That was welcome, so I ask Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to produce the result of returning the victims."

"I don't want (the meeting) to end up being just a performance," said Iizuka, 79, who heads a group representing abductees' families.

The families invited to the Diet session also included Fumiyo Saito, whose younger sister Kaoru Matsuki was kidnapped in 1980 in Spain aged 26. Saito said their mother Sunayo was shedding tears when she died in 2014 at 92 as she could not meet Kaoru again.

"The abduction was merciless. I pray to God everyday to live until Kaoru is rescued," Saito, 72, told lawmakers. "Please help us so our family will reunite."

Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abduction victims and suspects North Korea's involvement in other disappearances of Japanese citizens. While five of the 17 returned in 2002, Pyongyang maintains that eight, including Megumi Yokota, have died and the other four never entered the country.