Tokyo ( CNN ) -- Japan said Thursday it plans to lift some sanctions on North Korea after the two countries held talks about Japanese citizens abducted by the North Korean regime decades ago . Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that after the negotiations between diplomats from the two sides this week , North Korea has agreed to set up an investigation into the abduction cases . `` Based on the principle to reward an action with an action , I would like to lift a part of sanctions that Japan has taken , '' he told reporters . Abe added that such a move would be `` only a start , '' and that he would aim for a `` complete resolution '' of the issue . According to the Japanese government , North Korean operatives kidnapped at least 17 Japanese citizens in the late 1970s and early 1980s , possibly dozens more . In 2002 , North Korea admitted to the kidnappings for the first time but allowed only five abduction victims to return home to Japan . Information on the remaining 12 was sketchy at best . Some were kidnapped alone , while walking to and from school . Others were taken in pairs while out on dates , including a couple snatched from the beach after walking to see the sunset . Japan is expected to lift some of its unilateral sanctions on North Korea , but to keep to multilateral ones in line with U.N. resolutions . Japan 's unilateral sanctions include entry restrictions on North Korean citizens , limits on North Korean ships in Japanese ports and a requirement that money sent to North Korea be reported . The easing of the sanctions will coincide with North Korea 's establishment of an investigation committee into the abductions , which is likely to happen Friday , said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga . Abe is expected to meet with his National Security Council on Thursday to decide which sanctions to lift . The families of the kidnapped Japanese citizens , meanwhile , are waiting to see whether the diplomatic maneuvers will bring them any answers about what happened to their missing relatives . CNN 's Yoko Wakatsuki reported from Tokyo and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong . CNN 's Will Ripley contributed to this report .
Japan 's Shinzo Abe says he plans to `` reward an action with an action '' He plans to lift some sanctions after North Korea agreed to investigate abductions . North Korean operatives kidnapped at least 17 Japanese citizens in the '70s and '80s . The government has never publicly acknowledged any involvement, but a report by Japan's National Police Agency said that Pyongyang was behind the kidnappings of several people from Tokyo between 1980 and 1984.