Japan considers sanctions against N Korea

Japan is expected to impose its own sanctions against North Korea over its May 25 nuclear test, including suspending all trade, Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday.

Japan is expected to impose its own sanctions against North Korea over its May 25 nuclear test, including suspending all trade, Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday.

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It said that a cabinet decision was likely to be made as early as Tuesday.

The punitive measures were expected to have only a limited impact, but Tokyo wished to demonstrate its strong opposition to the nuclear threat posed by the country, Kyodo said.

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved wider sanctions against the reclusive communist state, which included a ban on all weapons exports from North Korea, as well as most arms imports.

Japan's colonial rule over the Korean peninsula in the early 20th century, under which many Koreans suffered, have plagued ties between the countries.

North Korean agents' abduction of Japanese decades ago also remains an emotional issue and a major obstacle to establishing diplomatic ties between the two nations.