Abductees' relatives for New York to seek U.N. cooperation

Family members of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea left for New York on Sunday for a one-week trip to seek cooperation from the United Nations on the rescue of abduction victims. "International society does not necessarily unite against North Korea," Shigeo Iizuka, whose younger sister Yaeko Taguchi was taken to North Korea in 1978 when she was 22, said at a news conference before leaving for New York.

"Taking this as a good opportunity to resolve the abduction issue, we will ask each country to act jointly," said the 68-year-old Iizuka, deputy representative of a group set up by the families of Japanese victims of abduction by North Korea. Also traveling with Iizuka is Teruaki Masumoto, 51, whose sister Rumiko was abducted by North Korea. He heads the secretariat of the family group.