[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 18th, the Japanese government imposed additional unilateral sanctions freezing the assets of five organizations involved in North Korea's nuclear and missile development.
According to Jiji Press and others, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, stated at a regular press conference that morning, "Today, at the Cabinet meeting, as part of Japan's additional measures against North Korea for the comprehensive resolution of various issues including the abduction issue and nuclear and missile matters, we decided to additionally designate five organizations involved in nuclear and missile development prohibited by the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions related to North Korea as targets for asset freezing based on the Foreign Exchange Law."
Foreign media reported that Japan's move follows North Korea's ballistic missile launch over Japanese airspace on the 4th. This is Japan's first additional unilateral sanction against North Korea in six months since April 1.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno said, "The provocative actions of (North Korea) constitute a serious and imminent threat to our security and are an outrage threatening the peace and safety of the region and the international community, and therefore cannot be tolerated." He added, "We believe there is a possibility of further provocations from North Korea, including nuclear tests, and we will thoroughly collect intelligence and maintain vigilance, aiming for North Korea's denuclearization in coordination with South Korea and the United States."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
