Japan plans to extend sanctions against North Korea

Asia-Pacific, News April 1, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Tokyo has announced plans to extend its sanctions against Pyongyang, citing a lack of progress in an investigation into the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea decades ago.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Tuesday that Japan’s trade embargo and other unilateral sanctions against North Korea will be extended for two more years beyond its previous expiring date of April 13.

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the decision was in response to North Korea’s failure to provide a report on its investigation into abductions of Japanese decades ago.

He urged North Korea to promptly and honestly report its findings.

Accordingly, North Korean ships would be banned from entering Japanese ports except for humanitarian reasons. Chartered flights between the countries are also included in the ban.

“At this point, we are asking North Korea to ensure it quickly conducts the investigation into the abductions and other areas and make sure they report to us,” Yoshihide Suga explained.

The developments come as Tokyo eased some of its sanctions in July 2014, after Pyongyang promised to launch a new investigation into the fate of Japanese nationals.

In 2002, North Korea admitted to abducting 13 Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. Pyongyang has since returned five kidnapped victims and their spouses and children. But it insists the issue has now been resolved, saying the other abductees were all dead without providing convincing evidence.

However, Tokyo says there has been little progress in the North’s investigation. It also argues that more people may have been abducted and that many of them may still be alive, voicing concern over the fate the Japanese nationals.

Japan already observes separate UN sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs. They include a ban on arms trade, a freeze of North Korean assets, a ban on people exchanges and restrictions on education.

BT/HJM/GHN/HMV