Japan decides to impose additional sanctions on N. Korea

TOKYO, June 16 Kyodo -
The Japanese government decided Tuesday to totally ban exports to North Korea
and reinforce restrictions on the flow of people in a bid to demonstrate
Tokyo's tough stance against the North's nuclear test in May.
As Japan has already banned imports from North Korea, the additional sanctions
on Pyongyang will lead to the complete suspension of bilateral trade. But the
effectiveness of the total ban on trade is expected to be limited since the
value of exports is small.
The decision, endorsed by the Cabinet, followed the U.N. Security Council's
adoption Friday of a resolution to impose a broad range of additional sanctions
on North Korea.
''We would like North Korea to take (the series of sanctions) seriously and
make efforts to resolve the abduction, nuclear and missile issues as a whole
and to work toward the normalization of diplomatic relations with Japan,''
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said at a news conference.
Stressing that Japan faces ''the highest nuclear threat'' from North Korea,
Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Kazuo Kodama told a separate press conference
that the additional sanctions ''are significant in showing our country's strong
determination to resolve issues involving North Korea, including the nuclear
problem.''
As for restrictions on the flow of people, the government has decided not to
allow foreigners residing in Japan to reenter the country in principle if they
violate existing restrictions on trade or monetary measures and travel to North
Korea.
Non-Japanese seamen who violate such restrictions would basically not be
permitted to land either.
Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 adopted after North Korea's first
nuclear test in October 2006, Japan prohibited exports of luxury items to North
Korea. In 2008, Japanese exports to North Korea were worth roughly 800 million
yen.
Japan also imposed its own sanctions in response to the first nuclear test,
including a ban on port calls by North Korean-registered vessels and a total
ban on imports from the North.
Japan also decided to impose additional sanctions following Pyongyang's rocket
launch in April, including tighter rules on fund transfers to North Korea.
==Kyodo