Abductee's family meeting fmr. N.Korean spy

 

 

Family members of a Japanese woman abducted to North Korea more than 30 years ago are meeting a former North Korean agent who had known her.

The Japanese woman, Yaeko Taguchi, was abducted to North Korea in 1978. Her elder brother, Shigeo Iizuka, and her son, Koichiro, arrived at a convention center in Pusan, South Korea, to meet with former North Korean spy Kim Hyun Hee for the first time.

Kim also entered the meeting site, but did not answer questions from reporters.

Kim lived with Taguchi in North Korea for two years from 1981 while training to be an agent, and learned the Japanese language and customs from her.

She was sentenced to death by South Korean authorities for her role in the 1987 bombing of a Korean Air jetliner, but was later pardoned.

Kim has lived in South Korea since then. This is her first public appearance in 12 years.

The Japanese family members and Kim are scheduled to hold a joint news conference after the meeting.

Attention is focused on what Kim will tell Taguchi's family about her time with Taguchi.