Description
Shigeru Yokota, father of 13-year-old Megumi Yokota abducted by North Korean agents in 1977, devoted over half his life to campaigning for his daughter's return and that of other Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea during the 1970s and 1980s. He co-founded the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea with his wife Sakie in 1997 to advocate for the victims. Facing initial government inaction, Shigeru and Sakie traveled extensively throughout Japan, holding more than 1,400 meetings to raise awareness. Their tireless efforts transformed the abductions from an obscure issue into a major Japanese diplomatic priority.
North Korea admitted to abducting Megumi and twelve others during a 2002 summit, permitting five victims to return while claiming Megumi had died. The regime returned remains purportedly belonging to Megumi, but Japanese DNA analysis disproved this, renewing Shigeru's hope for her survival. Subsequent revelations confirmed Megumi married in North Korea and gave birth to a daughter, Kim Eun Gyong. In 2014, Shigeru and Sakie met their granddaughter in Mongolia under a special arrangement, though Megumi was absent. Shigeru treasured a photograph he took of Megumi in her junior high uniform under a cherry blossom tree, months after she recovered from measles and shortly before her abduction; this image later became an iconic symbol for the abduction cause.
Shigeru extended his activism globally, meeting officials in the United States and Europe, including U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He played a key role in advocating for the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea, which documented systematic violations, including crimes against humanity. His persistence kept the abduction issue prominent in diplomatic discourse, notably referenced by U.S. President Donald Trump at the UN in 2017. Shigeru stepped down as leader of the families' association in 2007 due to declining health and was hospitalized for Parkinson’s syndrome in April 2018. He died on June 5, 2020, at age 87, without reuniting with Megumi, expressing unwavering determination to see his daughter again before his death.
North Korea admitted to abducting Megumi and twelve others during a 2002 summit, permitting five victims to return while claiming Megumi had died. The regime returned remains purportedly belonging to Megumi, but Japanese DNA analysis disproved this, renewing Shigeru's hope for her survival. Subsequent revelations confirmed Megumi married in North Korea and gave birth to a daughter, Kim Eun Gyong. In 2014, Shigeru and Sakie met their granddaughter in Mongolia under a special arrangement, though Megumi was absent. Shigeru treasured a photograph he took of Megumi in her junior high uniform under a cherry blossom tree, months after she recovered from measles and shortly before her abduction; this image later became an iconic symbol for the abduction cause.
Shigeru extended his activism globally, meeting officials in the United States and Europe, including U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He played a key role in advocating for the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea, which documented systematic violations, including crimes against humanity. His persistence kept the abduction issue prominent in diplomatic discourse, notably referenced by U.S. President Donald Trump at the UN in 2017. Shigeru stepped down as leader of the families' association in 2007 due to declining health and was hospitalized for Parkinson’s syndrome in April 2018. He died on June 5, 2020, at age 87, without reuniting with Megumi, expressing unwavering determination to see his daughter again before his death.