[USFK Forums] North Korea issues warrants for 4 Japanese [UPI]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Wednesday, March 29, 2006

North Korea issues warrants for 4 Japanese

PYONGYANG, North Korea, March 28 (UPI) -- North Korea has issued arrest warrants for four executives of Japanese non-governmental organizations on suspicion of abducting North Korean citizens.

The North Korean Ministry of People's Security, which issued the warrants, has notified the Japanese government of the warrants through diplomatic routes, and demanded that the four be handed over, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Tuesday.

The four were identified as Hiroshi Kato and Takayuki Noguchi of the Life Funds for North Korean Refugees organization; Fumiaki Yamata of the Society to Help Returnees to North Korea; and Ri Yong Hwa of Rescue the North Korean People! Urgent Action Network.

The move came after Japanese police Thursday raided an office of the pro-Pyongyang group General Association of Korean Residents and placed a former North Korean agent on an international wanted list, in connection with the 1980 abduction of Japanese national Tadaaki Hara by North Korean agents, the newspaper reported.



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