日朝首脳会談「働き掛け強める」　林官房長官、原さん拉致現場視察

　北朝鮮による日本人拉致問題を担当する林芳正官房長官は２７日、宮崎市を訪れ、１９８０年に原敕晁さん＝当時（４３）＝が拉致された青島海岸の現場を視察した。この後、記者団の取材に応じ、日朝首脳会談の早期実現を目指す考えを改めて表明。「働き掛けを一層強めていきたい」と語った。
　また、「被害者家族が高齢となる中、時間的制約のある拉致問題は人道問題だ。差し迫った思いをくみ取りながら解決に向けて取り組む」と強調した。（2024/01/27-16:47）

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Saturday vowed to boost the government's efforts for realizing a Japan-North Korea summit at an early date, in a bid to resolve the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals decade ago.
   "Japan will step up its call on North Korea" to hold such a summit, Hayashi, also minister in charge of the abduction issue, told reporters after visiting a beach in the southwestern Japan city of Miyazaki where Tadaaki Hara was kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1980 at the age of 43.
   "As the victims' families are getting older, the abduction issue is a humanitarian issue with time constraints," Hayashi said.
   He also attended a rally hosted by the Japanese government and the prefectural government of Miyazaki on Saturday.
   "In order to resolve the abduction issue, it is important for Japanese people to show their strong determination to realize the return of the victims as soon as possible, regardless of whether they have been officially recognized by the government (as abductees)," Hayashi told the rally.