Japan announces fresh N Korea sanctions after rocket launch

[TOKYO] Japan announced fresh sanctions against North Korea on Wednesday for its latest rocket launch, including a total ban on shipping from the country and barring Pyongyang's nationals from entering.

Japan's announcement comes after the UN Security Council strongly condemned Sunday's rocket launch and agreed to move quickly to impose new sanctions of its own.

"We have decided to take firm sanction steps," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters of the latest move, which adds to measures Japan already has in place over past North Korean nuclear and missile tests.

The measures include prohibiting North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports and a total entry ban on North Korean nationals into Japan, a government statement said.

"All North Korean ships, including those for humanitarian purposes, shall be banned from coming to Japanese ports," the statement said.

"Third-country ships that visited North Korea shall be also banned from entering," it added.

The measures also toughen financial reporting requirements for people transporting cash to North Korea, the statement added.

AFP