Yaeko Taguchi
Encyclopedia
Yaeko Taguchi is a Japan
ese citizen, one of several kidnapped by North Korea
in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Taguchi worked as a bar hostess in Tokyo to raise her two children: a one year old son and three year old daughter, after divorcing her husband. She went missing June, 1978, at the age of 22, after dropping her children off at day care.
Taguchi was forced to help train North Korean spy Kim Hyon Hui
, the surviving bomber of Korean Air Flight 858
. In 2002, North Korea admitted that she and others had been abducted, but claimed that she had died on July 30, 1986. Kim Hyon Hui testified Taguchi was given the Korean name Lee Un Hae (李恩恵, 리은혜) in North Korea. Kim said Taguchi often wept when telling her how much she missed her children.
Her children were raised by Taguchi's brother, Shigeo Izuka, and his wife. When they were adults, Shigeo told them that they were in fact Taguchi's son. Her son, Konichiro Izuka, an engineer at an information and technology company in Tokyo
went public in 2004, claiming that claims of her death were "nonsense", and he wanted her returned.
In 2008, Taguchi's son Koichiro Izuka said:
In March 2009, Kim Hyon Hui
met Yaeko Taguchi's son Koichiro in Busan
, South Korea. Kim told Izuka she believes Taguchi is still alive. Izuka said, "I received evidence that my mother is certainly alive. I have new hope for our rescue efforts.". in Ocotber 2011 that relaved she and her second husband Tadaaki Hara were in camp
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese citizen, one of several kidnapped by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Taguchi worked as a bar hostess in Tokyo to raise her two children: a one year old son and three year old daughter, after divorcing her husband. She went missing June, 1978, at the age of 22, after dropping her children off at day care.
Taguchi was forced to help train North Korean spy Kim Hyon Hui
Kim Hyon Hui
Kim Hyun-Hui is a former North Korean operative responsible for the Korean Air Flight 858 bombing in 1987, which killed 115 people.- Early life :...
, the surviving bomber of Korean Air Flight 858
Korean Air Flight 858
Korean Air Flight 858 was a scheduled international passenger flight between Baghdad, Iraq, and Seoul, South Korea that exploded in mid-air on 29 November 1987 after two North Korean agents planted a bomb in the passenger cabin...
. In 2002, North Korea admitted that she and others had been abducted, but claimed that she had died on July 30, 1986. Kim Hyon Hui testified Taguchi was given the Korean name Lee Un Hae (李恩恵, 리은혜) in North Korea. Kim said Taguchi often wept when telling her how much she missed her children.
Her children were raised by Taguchi's brother, Shigeo Izuka, and his wife. When they were adults, Shigeo told them that they were in fact Taguchi's son. Her son, Konichiro Izuka, an engineer at an information and technology company in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
went public in 2004, claiming that claims of her death were "nonsense", and he wanted her returned.
In 2008, Taguchi's son Koichiro Izuka said:
In March 2009, Kim Hyon Hui
Kim Hyon Hui
Kim Hyun-Hui is a former North Korean operative responsible for the Korean Air Flight 858 bombing in 1987, which killed 115 people.- Early life :...
met Yaeko Taguchi's son Koichiro in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea. Kim told Izuka she believes Taguchi is still alive. Izuka said, "I received evidence that my mother is certainly alive. I have new hope for our rescue efforts.". in Ocotber 2011 that relaved she and her second husband Tadaaki Hara were in camp