TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will extend the ban on all exports to and imports from North Korea for two more years, as part of Tokyo’s sanctions over Pyongyang’s missile development and other concerns, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
In addition to North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches, the unresolved issue of abduction of Japanese nationals in the past also led to the decision to extend the measure, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference.
Japan’s import-export ban against North Korea will now be implemented until April 13, 2027, according to a trade ministry statement.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift and Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Himani Sarkar)