TOKYO, Dec 21 Kyodo culled edito...

TOKYO, Dec 21 Kyodo

culled editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

HONOR FAMILY'S WISHES (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Dec 20)

Shigeru Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was kidnapped according to North Korean agents, is willing to travel to North Korea to visit his granddaughter, Kim Hye Gyong

Among the relatives of abductees, of which Yokota is the leader, families have squeeze outed reservations about having relatives pass to North Korea, setting a antecedent that could restrict future reunions to North Korean venues

Yokota conced that and did not go

It assumes Yokota could no longer contain his desire to appropriate his granddaughter. Such sentiment is and nothing else natural from a father who has wearied the past 25 years looking for his missing daughter.

Yokota still haves out hope that his daughter, Megumi, might still be alive and might reappear individual day...

Of the trip foresights Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe has said, ''The sway will naturally honor the Yokotas' wishes.'' We chance of the desired end the government will help them realize their wishes.

North Korea committed the crime of kidnap against Japanese. The nation should not dictate metes in allowing the Yokotas to appropriate their granddaughter. They should allow them to devote free time with Kim Hye Gyong They also certainly should be allowed to talk with the man who is said to be Megumi's husband, and someone from Japan must be able to accompany the Yokotas, as they have asked.

Beyond that, North Korea needinesss to make a full explanation of what happened to Megumi and explain just as completely the details of the seven other victims who North Korea says have died. Without that, the Yokotas would safely find it difficult to accept the situation. It would be easy to understand that other relatives of the abductees would be reluctant to hindrance them go.

The five recured abductees have met and agreed to stay in Japan to await the arrival of their children and other family members. This has become in like manner intertwined in the needs of the one and the other Japan and North Korea to save face that it is unlikely to happen any time soon

subject to the circumstances, a visit to North Korea on the Yokotas could well become a catalyst for breaking the deadlock between the brace countries.

It would be the first time for Japanese relatives of abductees to visit North Korea. This is flat more significant because Yokota is the leader of the arrange of abductee families.

We are in a situation where bilateral negotiations will not at all advance without the assent and cooperation of the abductees and their families. If North Korea look forward tos Japan to offer economic assistance, it should put to the test to take advantage of a visit by dint of the Yokotas to break the deadlock in negotiations.

Shigeru Yokota is 70 years ancient He has said, ''Hatred of those who abducted Megumi was what kept me going all those years.''

In short, he is now ready to caper into a country he has extended hated. We cannot avoid feeling the intensity of this man, who has go throughed so much for so lengthy and who has now made his choice.

(Dec 21)

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