Megumi Yokota

Megumi Yokota (Japanese横田 めぐみ, Yokota Megumi; * October 15, 1964; ? † 13 March 1994) was abducted on November 15, 1977 at the age of 13 years to North Korea.

Abduction

In the 1970s and early 1980s, 13 citizens were abducted by North Korean agents and taken to North Korea in Japan. They should help in the training of North Korean spies there. Supposedly Sin Gwang -su was responsible.

Yokota to have married in 1986, Kim Chol Jun, who is identified as the South Koreans also kidnapped Kim Young -nam. The couple had a daughter in 1987.

In 2002, North Korea admitted to kidnapping, claiming Yokota had committed suicide on March 13, 1994. Initially, as a proof of their identity only an old photograph and the badminton racket, she had the time of their kidnapping with him, put forward. In November 2002, their presumed burnt remains were handed over to the Japanese government and subjected to a DNA test, which was negative. The political dispute about the test result was reinforced by the scientific criticism of the journal Nature on the Japanese government because the DNA analysis methods used.

Media Coverage

About the case, in addition to numerous television, radio and newspaper reports, some films were released:

• Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story ( Documentary, USA 2006 )
• Megumi ( docudrama, The Netherlands / Japan 2007)
• Megumi ( manga 2004/2005, Web Anime, Japan 2008)