Japan extends sanctions on DPRK for two years

Japan on Tuesday decided to extend its trade ban and other sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for two years, according to Japanese media.

The authorities in Tokyo hope to maintain pressure on Pyongyang to denuclearize and resolve issues related to past abductions of Japanese nationals.

Kyodo News said the extension of the trade ban, which was due to expire on Saturday, will impose a total ban on exports and imports from the two countries and forbid the entry into Japan of DPRK-registered ships, as well as vessels that have stopped at a DPRK port.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) speaks at a meeting in Tokyo with Cabinet ministers on the issue of DPRK abductions of Japanese nationals, December 2, 2016. /VCG Photo

The measures are part of Japan's unilateral sanctions imposed since 2006 and are in response to the DPRK's nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, NHK reported.

According to Kyodo News, the two-year extension is designed to prod the DPRK to take specific steps toward achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and resolving the abduction issues.

(Cover: File photo of Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK. /VCG Photo)

(CGTN)