Number of suspected Japanese abductees in N. Korea rises to 883

TOKYO, Sept 2 (KUNA) -- Japanese police on Tuesday added 23 more missing people to its list of victims suspected to have been abducted by North Korea decades ago, bringing the total number to 883, the National Police Agency said.
The Agency has collected DNA samples from the families of 643 of those on the missing persons' list to prepare for North Korea's reinvestigation.
Separately, the government officially listed 17 nationals as having been abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s, mostly to train as spies. In 2002, the North returned five of the 17, but Japan continues to seek the return of the remaining 12 people. Of the 12, the North claims eight have died and four others never entered the country.
In bilateral talks late May, North Korea agreed to resume a full-scale investigation into the fate of Japanese citizens it abducted and other missing Japanese. Pyongyang promised in July to set up the Special Investigation Committee to reinvestigate the fate of those Japanese. "As Japan and North Korea make progress with talks, there is increasing interest in the abduction issue," National Public Safety Commission Chairman Keiji Furuya told a press conference.
The abduction case has prevented, among other issues, Tokyo and Pyongyang from normalizing relations. (end) mk.hb