Families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea voiced hope that a 372-page United Nations report released Monday which detailed evidence of "systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations" in the totalitarian dictatorship would help make headway on resolving the issue.

The report, which took a year to investigate and compile by a specially-convened U.N. commission of inquiry, painted a horrific picture of torture, forced disappearances, selective starvation and execution taking place in North Korea...