Japan renews sanctions against North Korea
Japan has renewed sanctions against North Korea for a period of six months
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Tuesday, 09, Oct 2007 06:51
Japan has renewed sanctions imposed against North Korea after the country's nuclear test last year, citing concerns over the kidnapping of its citizens and the communist state's nuclear programme as reasons for the move.
The country's cabinet has decided to renew the punitive measures for a further six months, under which ships and goods from North Korea are not allowed to enter Japanese ports.
Chief cabinet secretary Nobutaka Machimura told reporters: "We saw the need to extend the sanctions because there has been no progress over the abduction issue."
The two countries are at odds over the kidnapping of 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s. North Korea has admitted to taking the country's citizens hostage and has returned five, but Japan is demanding further information about the status of the remaining captives.
North Korea has said that they are dead and insists that the matter is closed but Japan seeks further evidence.
Mr Machimura added that ministers had also taken North Korea's nuclear programme into "comprehensive consideration" when deciding to renew sanctions against the country.
Sanctions were initially imposed against North Korea after it conducted a nuclear test on October 9th 2006. Since then the country has agreed to a timetable to abandon its programme in exchange for fuel and economic aid.
Progress on the nuclear issue has led to a warming of relations between North and South Korea, which led to talk of a peace treaty during a recent visit by South Korea's head of state to Pyongyang.