North Korea has sent back the son of one of the Japanese men who hijacked a Japan Airlines plane and defected to North Korea in 1970.

Japan’s Kyodo News said the 14-year-old son of Wakabayashi Moriaki arrived at Kansai International Airport in Japan via Beijing on Tuesday.

The repatriation of family members of the nine hijackers began in 2001.

Kyodo said that four of the nine hijackers still live in the North. Two of their wives are on a Japanese most wanted list for allegedly being involved in the 1970 incident.

On March 31st, 1970, nine members of the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction hijacked Japan Airlines Flight 351 that was flying from Tokyo to Fukuoka, taking all 129 passengers hostage.

The hijackers later released the hostages at Fukuoka Airport and Seoul's Gimpo Airport. They then headed to Pyongyang's Mirim Airport and were offered asylum by North Korean authorities.