{{Short description|Japanese citizen kidnapped by North Korea (born 1955)}} {{Infobox person | name = Yaeko Taguchi | image = 160px | alt = | caption = Taguchi in 1977 | birth_date = {{birth date|1955|08|10}} (would be {{age|1955|08|10}}) | birth_place = Japan | disappeared_date = June 12, 1978<ref>{{cite web | url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/30/asia/gallery/north-korea-japan-abduction/index.html | title=Gallery: Japan's abducted | date=July 2014 }}</ref> (age 22) | disappeared_place = Niigata Prefecture, Japan (disputed) | disappeared_status = {{missing for|1978|06|12}} | other_names = Lee Un-hae | known_for = Victim of kidnapping | family = Shigeo Izuka (brother) | children = Koichiro Izuka (son) | occupation = Hostess }} {{Nihongo|'''Yaeko Taguchi'''|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.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22244337 The North Korean spy who blew up a plane], BBC News, 22 April 2013</ref><ref name="United Nations Human Rights Council 2014"/>
==Abduction== Taguchi worked as a bar hostess in Tokyo, Japan, to raise her two children, a one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, after divorcing her husband.<ref>[http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/01/16/2009011600012.html "내 일어(日語)선생 이은혜가 다구치 맞다" 김현희, NHK 인터뷰… "北 사망주장은 거짓"] 조선일보 2009.01.16 {{in lang|ko}}</ref><ref>[http://chn.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/01/16/20090116000011.html 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 {{in lang|zh}}</ref> She disappeared on June 12, 1978, at the age of 22, after dropping her children off at a day care centre.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,354086,00.html|title=Accounted for, at Last|date=3 October 2002|magazine=TIME Magazine|author=Unmesh Kher|access-date=18 July 2017|via=content.time.com}}</ref>
She was forced to help teach Japanese to North Korean spy Kim Hyon-hui, who was the only surviving bomber of Korean Air Flight 858.<ref name="Lee Un Hae Case">[http://www.npa.go.jp/keibi/gaiji1/abd_e/ri_une_e.html Suspected Abduction Cases by North Korea "Lee Un Hae" Case] National Police Agency</ref><ref name="李恩恵（リ・ウネ）拉致容疑事案">[http://www.npa.go.jp/keibi/gaiji1/abd_j/ri_une.html 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 {{in lang|ja}}</ref> In 2002, North Korea admitted that she and others had been abducted, but claimed that she had died on July 30, 1986, more than a year before the KAL 858 incident. Kim Hyon Hui testified Taguchi was given the Korean name Lee Un-hae ({{Korean|hangul=리은혜|hanja=李恩恵}}) in North Korea.<ref name="Lee Un Hae Case"/><ref name="李恩恵（リ・ウネ）拉致容疑事案"/> Kim said Taguchi often wept when telling her how much she missed her children.<ref name="United Nations Human Rights Council 2014"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090122222749/http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200901/200901160017.html Japanese Abduction Victim Still Alive, Says KAL Bomber], ''Chosun Ilbo'' January 16, 2009</ref><ref>François Bougon, [https://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/a-chilling-tale-of-ordinary-japanese-abducted-by-north-korean-spies/tokyo-pyongyang-abduction-kim-il-sung/c1s10355/ A Chilling Tale Of Ordinary Japanese Abducted By North Korean Spies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202053348/https://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/a-chilling-tale-of-ordinary-japanese-abducted-by-north-korean-spies/tokyo-pyongyang-abduction-kim-il-sung/c1s10355 |date=2017-12-02 }}, Worldcrunch, December 25, 2012</ref>
==Children's life in Japan== Her children were raised by her siblings in Japan. Her son Koichiro 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 visiting.<ref>[http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=060000&biid=2009030604668 Son of NK Kidnap Victim Yearns to See His Mother], ''Dong-a Ilbo'', March 6, 2009</ref> When they were adults, Shigeo told them that they were Taguchi's children.<ref name="japantimes">[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20090222a3.html Taguchi's son seeks clues from ex-agent] The Japan Times Feb 22, 2009</ref> Her son, 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.<ref name="japantimes"/> Shigeo became Chair of the Association of NARKN along with the Yokota family.
In 2008, Taguchi's son Koichiro Izuka said: {{blockquote|I was separated from my mother just 30 years ago when I was one 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.<ref>[http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/080704/crm0807042247058-n1.htm 「母を紡ぐ」息子の思い] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010195739/http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/080704/crm0807042247058-n1.htm |date=2008-10-10 }} SANKEI SHINBUN 2008.7.4 (Japanese)</ref>}}
In March 2009, Kim Hyon-hui met Yaeko Taguchi's son Koichiro Izuka 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."<ref>[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200903/200903120001.html KAL Bomber Meets Abduction Victim's Family] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404000200/http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200903/200903120001.html |date=2009-04-04 }} Chosun Ilbo March 12, 2009</ref> 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, Megumi Yokota, and Tadaaki Hara.<ref>[http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/09/24/2011092400324.html N.Korea Moves Abduction Victims to Remote Internment Camp] Chosun Ilbo Sep. 24, 2011</ref>
In 2014 Taguchi's brother, too, testified about her kidnapping.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/03/18/2014031801001.html|title=UN Rights Envoy Urges Action Against N.Korea|website=The Chosun Ilbo|access-date=2014-03-18|archive-date=2014-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318163017/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/03/18/2014031801001.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/18/national/u-n-support-sought-by-kin-of-abductees/|title=U.N. support sought by kin of abductees|date=18 March 2014|via=Japan Times Online|access-date=18 March 2014|archive-date=18 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318212616/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/18/national/u-n-support-sought-by-kin-of-abductees/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/30/world/asia/japan-north-korea-abduction-talks/index.html|title=Abductees family hope North Korea talks bring closure|first=Will |last=Ripley|website=CNN|date=July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/world/asia/north-korea-kidnap-japanese-trump.html|title=For Families of Japanese Abducted by North Korea, Trump Visit Brings Spotlight|last=Rich|first=Motoko|date=2017-11-03|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-08-25|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==In media and culture== Taguchi was played by Mayumi Sada in the 2006 NTV television film ''Saikai ~Yokota Megumi-san no Negai~''. A Japanese documentary about Kim Hyun-hui's life featured her meeting Yaeko and how she sings lullabies to her children.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5W5PUxrGuo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/q5W5PUxrGuo |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|script-title=ja:大韓航空機爆破事件~金賢姫を捕らえた男たち|trans-title=Korean Air bomb blast incident - men capturing Kim & Hime|last=scramble749|date=15 October 2010|via=YouTube|language=ja}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Her son Koichiro Izuka wrote his book ''When My Mother was Kidnapped I was One'' about how he was adopted 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 about Kaoru Hasuike's and Megumi Yokota's lives in North Korea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.futabasha.co.jp/booksdb/smp/book/bookview/978-4-575-71349-7/smp.html|script-title=ja:株式会社双葉社 -コミック文庫)母が拉致された時 僕はまだ一歳だった|trans-title=When my mother was kidnapped I was only one year old|website=www.futabasha.co.jp|language=ja}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|North Korea|Japan|Biography}} *List of kidnappings *List of people who disappeared mysteriously: post-1970 *North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="United Nations Human Rights Council 2014">{{cite web |first1= Michael Donald|last1=Kirby |author-link1=Michael Kirby (judge) |first2=Sonja |last2=Biserko |author-link2=Sonja Biserko |first3= Marzuki|last3=Darusman |author-link3=Marzuki Darusman |date=7 February 2014 |title=Report of the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - A/HRC/25/CRP.1 |publisher=United Nations Human Rights Council |url= http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoIDPRK/Report/A.HRC.25.CRP.1_ENG.doc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227104633/http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoIDPRK/Report/A.HRC.25.CRP.1_ENG.doc | archive-date= February 27, 2014 |url-status=live |pages=288–298 (Paragraph 936) |quote= Ms Taguchi Yaeko disappeared from Tokyo in June 1978, leaving behind two very young children. Former DPRK agent Kim Hyon-hui, convicted of bombing a Korean Air jet in November 1987, is believed to have been taught how to pass herself off as Japanese by Ms Taguchi. The DPRK alleged that Ms Taguchi died at age 30. However, the DPRK authorities have not provided any credible evidence in support of their claim. }}</ref> }} {{North Korean abductions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taguchi, Yaeko}} Category:1955 births Category:1970s missing person cases Category:Kidnapped Japanese people Category:Missing person cases in Japan Category:Missing Japanese people Category:North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens Category:People of the Shōwa era Category:Living people