A Japanese governmental office has begun shortwave radio broadcasts to North Korea, aimed at Japanese abductees believed to be residing in the North.

The office which falls under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister’s office, and which pushes to resolve the abductees issue, sent out its first broadcast Monday, containing Japan’s stance on the abductions and local news from areas where the abductees used to reside.

The 30-minute broadcast will be transmitted once a day in Japanese and Korean.

In Monday's program, nine families, including the parents of Megumi Yokota, told their stories and spoke about their kidnapped family members.

The Japanese government had previously allowed a civil group working on the abductees issue to broadcast its own program to the North in March, but North Korea protested and jammed the signal.