obutaka Machimura

The move was in response to DNA tests that showed the remains North Korea presented to Japanese officials during bilateral talks in Pyongyang last month are not those of Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped to the North in 1977 at age 13.

Japan has shipped 125,000 tons of the food aid Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi promised to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during their May summit in Pyongyang.

Addressing the Lower House special committee on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, Machimura said, "Even if the (U.N.) World Food Program asks (Japan to provide the remaining food aid), the situation makes it difficult to respond to the request."

Machimura said Tokyo would decide on a course of action by year's end, after completing an examination of other materials pertaining to the abductees that Pyongyang handed over.

Later in the day, the committee adopted a resolution urging the government to consider invoking sanctions and freezing humanitarian relief aid to North Korea if it continues to deal insincerely with the abduction issue.

The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 18, 2004
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