North Korea then asked Japan for economic aid and food supplies in exchange for returning not only the Japanese wives in question, but also seven Japanese known to have been abducted by the North. The Japanese aid, like the ransom paid to a kidnapper, must be provided by April 15, just in time for the commemoration of Kim Il-song’s birth – a clear indication of North Korea’s true intentions, and desperation.
接着，朝鲜要求日本给予粮食和经济援助，作为交换，朝鲜不但可以遣返日本所要求的日籍亲眷，甚至还可以释放被朝鲜羁押的七名日本人。日本的援助——与人质赎金无异——必须在4月15日前落实，以赶上金正日诞辰纪念——显然，这才是朝鲜的真正目的，而且极为迫切。