Japan eyes adding, extending economic sanctions against N. Korea+

TOKYO, April 5 Kyodo - Japan plans to impose new sanctions on North Korea in response to its launching a rocket Sunday and to extend existing ones, due to expire April 13, by one year instead of six months, according to Japanese government officials.

The government will discuss details of possible new sanctions, likely to
include a complete ban on exports to the reclusive country, while observing how
the U.N. Security Council responds, a senior government official said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, meanwhile, said Japan is nearing a
decision to extend its ongoing economic sanctions against North Korea,
including bans on port calls by North Korean-registered vessels and all imports
of goods from the country, by a year.
Japan is expected to approve the extension of the current sanctions at a
Cabinet meeting next Friday, government sources said.
Tokyo has imposed sanctions on Pyongyang since 2006 when North Korea conducted
missile and nuclear tests in July and October, respectively. The sanctions have
been extended for periods of six months so far.
Concerning new sanctions, a senior official at the Economy, Trade and Industry
Ministry said the effects of additional sanctions would be limited as Japan has
already imposed measures including an import ban.
But another senior government official said Japan has determined it is
necessary to ''send out a firm message'' against North Korea when considering
that it defied repeated international calls and went ahead with the launch.
North Korea claims the launch was to put a satellite into orbit, but countries
including Japan and the United States suspect it of being a ballistic missile.
==Kyodo
2009-04-05 22:41:52