Abduction: Japan's Blunders in Negotiations with North Korea

The abduction of 16 Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government took place from 1977 to 1983. In spite of a series of negotiations on this issue between the two countries, little has changed after the return of the five abductees and their family members in 2004. It is high time for Japan to ask such questions as: Has Japan failed? Is it really possible to bring all the abductees back? If not, what went wrong? This paper argues that Japan's massive public relations strategy toward its citizens, although successful in garnering public support, eventually backfired on the government: it left too little room for them to negotiate with North Korea. However, with the attention of the public being diverted from the abduction issue for a while, it may be a good time for Japan to overhaul its negotiation strategy.