Relatives of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s saw renewed hope for the return of their loved ones on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump raised the long-stalled issue in his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

But some, including abduction victims themselves, were disappointed, saying that the Trump-Kim summit failed to deliver anything tangible. It remains unclear what North Korean leader said regarding the abduction issue, which was not mentioned in the post-summit joint statement.

"There was no outcome. I wanted President Trump to draw more concrete answers (from North Korea). I can only say that it was extremely disappointing," said Hitomi Soga, 59, who along with four other Japanese abductees was allowed to return to Japan in 2002. Soga had been abducted by North Korean agents in 1978.

(Hitomi Soga)

"I assume that neither the United States nor North Korea understood the situation in which families of abductee victims are in," Soga said. "We have repeatedly said that we are fighting for every minute, every second. We can no longer postpone this issue."

Soga was abducted with her mother Miyoshi, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Yasushi Chimura, 63, who was also repatriated in 2002 along with his wife after both were abducted 24 years earlier, hoped for "some action" toward the ultimate goal of seeing all the abductees return.

"It will be good if dialogue between Japan and North Korea advances, with President Trump being the mediator. I hope a Japan-North Korea summit will take place as early as possible," Chimura said.

In the first-ever summit between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader, Trump said he brought up the abduction issue as repeatedly urged to do by Abe. Trump said the North Korean side "will be working on that."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who talked by phone with Trump after the summit, did not provide details of what was said between the U.S. and North Korean leaders on the matter.

But Abe did indicate he believes Japan must resolve the issue itself. "I'm determined that Japan will have to directly face North Korea and resolve (the abduction issue) bilaterally," Abe said.

Sakie Yokota, the 82-year-old mother of Megumi Yokota who was kidnapped at age 13, told a press conference "it is a miracle" that Trump and Kim had met. "We have finally come this far, (and) I hope now for a Japan-North Korea summit so that the victims can return home."

(Sakie Yokota speaks in Kawasaki, Japan, after Trump-Kim summit talks)

While watching TV coverage of the Trump-Kim summit, Kenichi Ichikawa, whose younger brother Shuichi went missing in 1978 at age 23, said, "I am thankful that President Trump touched on the abduction issue when negotiations between Japan and North Korea are in a deadlock."

But he also said, "I thought I would hear a little more detail."

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

"The abductees' families cannot wait any longer. The discussions should start from (the standpoint of) how to realize their immediate return," said Shigeo Iizuka, the 80-year-old head of a group representing abductees' families ahead of the summit. Iizuka's younger sister Yaeko Taguchi was abducted by North Korea in 1978 when she was 22 years old.

Noting that he himself is sick and the advanced age of many other close relatives of those abducted, Iizuka said, "It will be a tragedy if there are no parents or brothers or sisters even if the victims return home. Please let them return (to Japan), I will also work hard this year."

(Shigeo Iizuka)

North Korean defectors living in Japan harbor complicated feelings over the Trump-Kim summit, unsure whether it will lead to a change in the dictatorial regime.

"I may be able to return home if North Korea undergoes reforms and opens up like China sometime in the future," said a defector in his 30s, who goes by the pseudonym Kim Hyun Woo and came to Japan after being born in North Korea.

Another defector who goes by the pseudonym Cho Myung Duk said improved relations between North Korea and South Korea, as well as Pyongyang and Washington, will likely result in economic assistance for the North. But he said he does not expect any improvement in the North Korean regime.

Under those circumstances, "Kim Jong Un and his dictatorial regime that suppresses human rights will be protected until he dies," Cho said. "I wonder why they cannot imagine that. I don't think South and North Koreas will become united through dialogue. There is no way but to continue exerting pressure to topple the North Korean dictatorial regime."

Ethnic Koreans and American students in Japan also closely followed the historic summit, with Korea International School in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, holding a special session with a live broadcast of the landmark summit shown on a classroom screen.

When Trump and Kim appeared on the screen, the students raised a round of claps and cheers, while some captured the historic moment on their smartphones.

"It is unnatural that a state of war continues between (South and North Korea) as they used to be one country. I hope there will be a declaration of the end of war through this summit," said No Hui Sim, 16.