The Japanese government has decided to ban officials of a North Korea-affiliated association of ethnic Koreans from reentering Japan once they visit the North to attend Kim Jong-il's funeral.

Tokyo on Friday turned down the request of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan to allow six of its senior officials to visit North Korea for late Kim's funeral, saying that the death does not serve as a reason to redirect its policy regarding reentry to Japan from North Korea.

The Japanese government imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 after North Korea fired missiles and conducted a nuclear test. The sanctions block the entry of North Korean ships into Japanese ports and the transfer of money from Japan to North Korea.