Yaeko Taguchi
Yaeko Taguchi | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 10, 1955 |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Other names | Lee Eun-hye |
| Occupation | Hostess |
| Known for | Kidnapping victim |
| Family | Shigeo Izuka (brother) Koichiro Izuka (son) |
Yaeko Taguchi (Japanese: 田口八重子; Taguchi Yaeko; born August 10, 1955) is a Japanese citizen, one of several kidnapped by North Korea in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
She 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.[1][2] She went missing in June, 1978, at the age of 22, after dropping her children off at day care.[3]
She was forced to help train North Korean spy Kim Hyon Hui, the surviving bomber of Korean Air Flight 858.[4][5] 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.[4][5] Kim said Taguchi often wept when telling her how much she missed her children.[6]
Her children were raised by her siblings in Japan. Her son Kochi was raised by her brother Shigeo Izuka and his wife, while her daughter was adopted by her older sister after her ex-husband was banned from visit [7] When they were adults, Shigeo told them that they were in fact Taguchi's son.[8] Her son, Konichiro Izuka, an engineer at an information technology company in Tokyo, went public in 2004 claiming that claims of her death were "nonsense", and he wanted her returned.[8] Shigeo become Chair of the Association of NARKN along with Yokota family
In 2008, Taguchi's son Koichiro Izuka said:
I was separated from my mother just 30 years ago when I was 1 year and four months old. Therefore I don't remember my mother's warmth, voice or smell. We want to return to being an ordinary family, and regain a part of the time lost over the last 30 years.[9]
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.".[10] In October 2011, South Korean intelligence agencies reported they believed dozens of South Korean and Japanese abduction victims were moved to Wonhwa-ri in South Pyongan Province, this group may have included Taguchi and her second husband Tadaaki Hara.[11]
Taguchi was played by Mayumi Sada in the 2006 NTV television movie Saikai ~Yokota Megumi-san no Negai~ and featured Japanese documentary about Kim Hyun-hui's life and meeting Yaeko and how she sings lullabies to her children [12]. Her son Koichiro Izuka wrote his book When My Mother was Kidnapped I was One about how he was apdoted by his uncle as a baby and struggled for 20 years to see his mother again. It was adapted as a manga authored by Souichi Mato who wrote Karou Haisuke's and Megumi Yokota's life in North Korea issues [13]
See also
References
- ^ "내 일어(日語)선생 이은혜가 다구치 맞다" 김현희, NHK 인터뷰… "北 사망주장은 거짓" 조선일보 2009.01.16 (Korean)
- ^ 金贤姬：我日语老师是被北韩绑架的田口八重子 朝鲜日报中文网 2009.01.16 (Chinese)
- ^ Accounted for, at Last time.com Oct 3, 2002
- ^ a b Suspected Abduction Cases by North Korea "Lee Un Hae" Case National Police Agency
- ^ a b 北朝鮮による拉致事案について 李恩恵（リ・ウネ）拉致容疑事案 警察庁 (Japanese)
- ^ Japanese Abduction Victim Still Alive, Says KAL Bomber Chosun Ilbo Jan.16,2009
- ^ http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=060000&biid=2009030604668
- ^ a b Taguchi's son seeks clues from ex-agent The Japan Times Feb 22, 2009
- ^ 「母を紡ぐ」息子の思い SANKEI SHINBUN 2008.7.4 (Japanese)
- ^ KAL Bomber Meets Abduction Victim's Family Chosun Ilbo Mar.12,2009
- ^ N.Korea Moves Abduction Victims to Remote Internment Camp Chosun Ilbo Sep. 24, 2011
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5W5PUxrGuo
- ^ http://www.futabasha.co.jp/booksdb/smp/book/bookview/978-4-575-71349-7/smp.html