The Party submitted an interim report on enhancing support for abductees to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 24.

The report is to prepare for the expiration of the Act on Aid to Persons Abducted by North Korean Authorities and Other Relevant Persons at the end of March next year and for the return of additional abductees to Japan. It was prepared by the Project Team on Support for Abductees (Chairman: Ichiro Tsukada, Member of the House of Councillors), which was established under the LDP's Headquarters for North Korean Abductions (Chairman: Eriko Yamatani, Member of the House of Councillors) based on the hearings with relevant government and civic bodies.

The report advocates extending the current 10-year term for "abductee support," and establishing a new permanent support system to supplement the incomes of elderly abductees.

The new support system would be based on the average income of elderly households. Support would begin when either the abductee or the spouse reaches 60 years of age, and would also be available to foreign-national spouses.

Chairman Yamatani (advisor to the project team) said, "We need flexible, fine-tuned support so that the victims of abduction are able to live out their lives in confidence in Japan." Prime Minister Abe expressed his sympathy, saying, "We will work with the Party to do everything possible."

Present for the submission of the report were Project Team Chairman Tsukada, Chief Secretary Kentaro Sonoura, and Deputy Chief Secretary Kenichi Hosoda.