The invitation-only zone: the true story of North Korea's abduction project

During the 1970s and early 80s, dozens of Japanese civilians were kidnapped by North Korean commandos and forced to live in 'Invitation Only Zones', high-security detention-centres masked as exclusive areas, on the outskirts of Pyongyang.

The objective was to brainwash the abductees with the regime's ideology, and train them to spy on the state's behalf.

But when indoctrination failed, the captives were forced to teach North Korean operatives how to pass as Japanese, to help them infiltrate hostile neighbouring nations.

For years, the Japanese and North Korean authorities brushed off these disappearances, but in 2002 Kim Jong Il admitted to kidnapping 13 citizens, returning five of them - the remaining eight were declared dead.

In this book, Robert Boynton speaks with the abductees, nationalists & diplomats to try & untangle both the kidnappings & the complicated relations between North Korea & Japan.