They vanished from beaches, from their European universities and vacations, and walking home after school. In his second book, The Invitation-Only Zone, Robert S. Boynton (The New New Journalism) pieces together the disturbing and still-unfolding story of North Korea's abductions of Japanese, South Koreans and other foreign citizens, from the 1950s to the present day.
Boynton sets his story of the abduction project deep in the context of the history between Japan and Korea. "I gradually came to understand that the subterranean link between Japan and Korea--whether by way of immigration, colonialism, or abduction--was the story." He centers his book on the lives of two couples who became neighbors in a North Korean "Invitation-Only Zone." Each young couple was kidnapped while on evening dates in 1978, separated for reeducation in North Korea, then reunited, married and moved into these restricted areas where they raised their children under the eyes of government watchers.
In 1991, a Japanese TV producer investigated the stories of Korean-Japanese whose relatives were among the 93,000 who accepted Kim Il-sung's offer of "repatriation" in 1956. Those interviews led him to the story of the abduction of a Japanese chef. He produced a documentary on the chef's abduction that was met with disbelief; he investigated further and wrote a book. The arrest and confession of a North Korean terrorist finally motivated the Japanese government to confront the question of the abductions project, and in 2002 five abductees were allowed to return to Japan.
Japanese public opinion turned from denial to outrage and panic. "Not only had the Japanese government failed to protect its people, but it emerged that it had been aware of the abduction project almost from the start." With the publicity came a rush of inquiries from families with missing relatives. Activist Kazuhiro Araki "believes the North has kidnapped more than two hundred fifty Japanese and that the kidnappings continue to this day."
Why did they do it? A variety of reasons seem to have existed at different times: to train or breed Japanese spies, to obtain skilled professionals or find wives for terrorists. Boynton writes that "ultimately, there was no single explanation or motivation. The most plausible explanation is that the abductions were part of a bold plan to unify the two Koreas, spread Kim Il-sung's ideology throughout Asia, and humiliate Japan." Anyone with an interest in the history and politics of these nations will find this a fascinating read. --Sara Catterall
Shelf Talker: The Invitation-Only Zone is the most thoroughly researched and complete telling so far of the still-unfolding story of North Korea's abduction projects.