Japan considers further sanctions as N.Korea rejects UN call

JAPAN: Japan is considering further economic sanctions against North Korea following Pyongyang's rejection of a UN Security Council resolution demanding the suspension of its ballistic missile program, reports said Monday.

The Security Council unanimously adopted Saturday the resolution condemning Pyongyang's missile launches and demanding the suspension of its ballistic missile programme, but the isolated communist state rejected the "brigandish" resolution and vowed to bolster its defences.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe ordered officials Sunday to examine further sanctions following Pyongyang's rejection of the UN resolution, Jiji Press and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported.

Further sanctions could include suspension of cash remittances to impoverished North Korea, which depends on financial help from ethnic Koreans in Japan, a ban on bilateral trade and freezes on North Korean assets in Japan, reports said.

The UN Security Council resolution requires all member states to prevent the procurement of missiles or missile related items, materials, goods and technology from North Korea and the transfer of any financial resources in relation to North Korea's missile or weapons of mass destruction programs.

Based on the resolution, Japan may call for other countries to join hands in implementing effective financial sanctions to deter remittances through a third country, Jiji Press said.

Japan was quick to impose sanctions, although in a reserved manner, after Pyongyang launched seven ballistic missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2 which theoretically could reach US soil. Tokyo has banned a major ferry link, visits by diplomats and charter flights from North Korea following the missile launches.

Japan is one of the strongest critics of North Korea. It is particularly sensitive as Pyongyang's previous test of a long-range missile, the Taepodong-1, flew over Japan into the Pacific Ocean in 1998.

North Korea is also widely reviled here for its past kidnappings of Japanese civilians to train its spies, a row that has prevented the two countries from establishing diplomatic relations.