Yokota Takuya, whose older sister Megumi was abducted 43 year ago, said they are demanding the immediate return of all the abductees, and not a phased or partial return.

Yokota said he wants North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to make a courageous decision in order to make a brighter future for his country, and he expressed assurance that the relatives will not hinder negotiations on the normalization of bilateral relations if all the victims are returned.

Iizuka Koichiro, the son of abductee Taguchi Yaeko, said the North may be waiting for the relatives to die and the issue to be forgotten, but that they cannot tolerate that.

He said he does not want any more relatives to die before they are able to reunite with their loved ones, and that the issue will not be considered resolved unless they can see each other again while they are still healthy.

Iizuka said the Japanese government cannot be forgiven for waiting, and that it should create an opportunity by itself.

He said he hears the North is reeling from floods and is suffering from the coronavirus, and that the Japanese government should propose a mutually-beneficial solution.

He added both countries should take steps in the coming months for a productive and constructive future.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said North Korea has hardworking people and rich natural resources, and that Japan wants to share a bright future with the nation.

He said the government will aim to normalize ties with the North by overcoming mutual distrust, resolving the nuclear, missile and most importantly the abduction issues, and settling the two countries' unfortunate past.

Japan's government says North Korean agents abducted at least 17 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s. Five were repatriated after a bilateral summit in 2002. But the rest, including Yokota Megumi and Taguchi Yaeko, remain unaccounted for.