Japan extends DPRK sanctions

TOKYO: Japan renewed and strengthened sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Friday, but it disagreed with the US over how the UN Security Council should censure Pyongyang for its rocket launch.

DPRK says Sunday's launch was to send a satellite into orbit, but Tokyo, Washington and others call it a cover for a missile test.

Japan's Cabinet reauthorized and ramped up economic sanctions imposed on the isolated country since a 2006 missile test, by lowering the cap on remittances that must be reported and reducing the amount of money visitors can carry into DPRK, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said. The old sanctions, which must be renewed every six months, expire on Monday. The latest renewal is good for one year.

"North Korea forced a missile firing, the act that our country finds intolerable," Kawamura told a news conference. "The additional steps are aimed at monitoring the money flow into the North more closely."

The measures announced on Friday reduce the amount of remittances that can be sent to DPRK without reporting to the Japanese government to 10 million yen ($100,000) from 30 million yen ($300,000), and slash the amount of money that travelers can bring into DPRK by more than one-third to 300,000 yen ($3,000).

AP

(China Daily 04/11/2009 page11)