Yokota Megumi

“On November 15, 1977, two North Korean agents were wrapping up a secret mission in Niigata Prefecture and were waiting on the beach for a boat, presumably to get them back to North Korea or their vessel. They noticed someone walking nearby, someone who might have seen too much of whatever they were up to. But this part was unclear since we don't know what they were doing. Either way, they got spooked. In the darkness, they panicked and grabbed the figure. Megumi was tall for her age, so they didn't realize she was a child until it was too late.”

“So if not some freak targeting schoolgirls, then who? Long story short, the Japanese government eventually admitted that at least 17 of their citizens had been abducted by North Korea between 1977 and 1983 Honestly, almost sounds like the government is blaming someone else for their inability to solve crimes, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Because it seems to be really what happened. 17 confirmed victims, but that barely scratches the surface though, because it could have easily crossed 100, or so it was believed.”

“Megumi was eventually assigned to a secret training facility where she taught Japanese language and culture to North Korean spies, spies who would later infiltrate Japan. And she wasn't alone. As there were others, Japanese and South Korean students, teachers, even couples, some were abducted from their own country for a specific purpose. Others, like Megumi, were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the goal was always the same, to build a spy network using foreign expertise, stolen identities, and brainwashed loyalty.”

“On September 17th, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro boarded a plane to Pyongyang. During the historic summit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il did something no one thought he would do. He admitted it. Yes, North Korea had abducted Japanese citizens. Yes, it had happened over many years. And yes, Yokota Megumi was one of them. He even apologized. What the hell do you do with that? Like thank you, but more action, please?”

“They said Megumi's husband cremated her remains and kept the ashes in his home for years. And then, as if that wasn't jarring enough, they handed over those ashes back to Japan. The Yokota family was devastated, but a big part of them didn't take it at face value. Or rather, they had doubts. This felt too clean, too wrapped up in a bow. There had to be more information, so they decided to get a DNA test done on the ashes. And turns out, the ashes weren't even hers.”

“Tae Yongho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to the UK, defected in 2016 In his memoir, he revealed what had been happening behind the scenes after the 2002 summit blew the lid off the abductions. He claimed that Kim Jong-il never meant to send fake remains. According to Tae, when Japan demanded proof of Megumi's death, North Korea was like, uh, what do we do? There were no proper records, and no one knew where she had actually been buried, if she had died. It was less about political games and more about just being horribly disorganized. A hospital staff member was asked to guess the location of her burial, so they did.”

“Shigeru held on to hope for as long as he could, truly believing Megumi was still alive, that one day she would walk through the door again. He remained a fierce advocate for the Abductees' families, but in 2020, he passed away without ever seeing his daughter again. His wife, Sakie, now 87, continues the fight for Megumi. Earlier in 2025, she told reporters about a sudden health scare, heart palpitations, white vision, a terrifying moment of collapse. But she said that she held on because the hope of getting Megumi back kept her going.”