Japanese father who spent decades searching for daughter abducted by North Korea dies at 96

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Japanese father who spent decades searching for daughter abducted by North Korea dies at 96
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Japanese father who spent decades searching for daughter abducted by North Korea dies at 96

By SCMP’s Asia desk 0

A Japanese man who spent decades searching for his daughter, who was abducted by North Korean agents in 1988, has died age 96.

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Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was kidnapped while travelling in Europe at 23, died of natural causes on Saturday, his family confirmed on Monday. Despite his age, he never ceased his efforts to find her.

When she was abducted by North Korean agents, Keiko had been completing a study programme in Britain. Arimoto’s wife, Kayoko, who also dedicated her life to the search, died in 2020 at 94.

The couple were central figures in the movement to bring back not only their daughter but other Japanese citizens who had been kidnapped by North Korea. In 1997, they helped establish a group for the families of the abductees and played an active role in its leadership.

Akihiro Arimoto, right whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23, and Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, attend a meeting in Tokyo in 2023. Photo: Kyodo
Akihiro Arimoto, right whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23, and Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, attend a meeting in Tokyo in 2023. Photo: Kyodo

Over the years, Akihiro’s dedication to the cause led him to meet with both Donald Trump and Joe Biden during their presidential visits to Japan in 2017 and 2022, respectively.

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