Japan decided yesterday to extend sanctions on North Korea set last October after it conducted a nuclear test, as doubts grew over whether Pyongyang can close a nuclear reactor by a deadline this month.
The sanctions, which include a ban on imports from the impoverished communist state and which bar all North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports, will be extended for six months, Foreign Minister Taro Aso told reporters.
The sanctions were adopted last October, a move taken independently from measures the UN Security Council adopted later that month against Pyongyang for its nuclear test. Japan already had limited sanctions in place over the North's missile tests last July.
Aso said sanctions were being extended largely because of a lack of progress both on resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea as well as on Pyongyang's shutdown of a nuclear reactor.
According to a Feb. 13 agreement, North Korea had 60 days to shut its nuclear facilities in return for energy aid.
North Korea walked out of six-party talks on ending its nuclear weapons program last month when the transfer of US$25 million in funds held at Banco Delta Asia (BDA) in Macau failed to go through.
"The North Koreans have not dealt with the abduction issue in good faith, and they have not dealt with the nuclear issue either, giving the BDA as a reason," Aso told reporters after a Cabinet meeting at which the sanctions decision was made.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki urged North Korea to show a constructive stance.
"Our fundamental stance is one of pressure and dialogue, and appropriate pressure is sometimes necessary to hold dialogue," he told a news conference.
"We of course hope for dialogue, and we urge North Korea to respond positively on both the abduction and nuclear issues," he said.
Japan's total trade with North Korea amounted to about US$180 million in 2005, about half the figure in 2002, and trade dwindled further last year.
"We thought it was necessary to continue with these measures based on a comprehensive decision on the situation surrounding North Korea, including the nuclear problem," he said.
"We urge again for North Korea to use this opportunity to demonstrate a constructive attitude toward the resolution of the abduction, nuclear and missile issues," he said.
North Korea admitted in 2002 that it kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.
Pyongyang sent five of them home later that year, but insisted the rest were dead.
Japan has demanded proof and says more of its citizens may have been taken.
It has also refused to provide energy and economic aid to North Korea or normalize relations unless progress is made on resolving the issue.
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