Anchor: Japan is likely to follow the lead of the U.S. and put more pressure on North Korea by sanctioning companies and individuals allegedly assisting the North. The proposed sanctions will freeze the assets of companies and individuals from China and Namibia linked to North Korea.
Alannah Hill has the details.
 
Report: Japan’s Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government will hold a Cabinet meeting on Friday to approve new sanctions against those who allegedly helped North Korea export coal and send workers to other countries.
 
Those subject to Japan’s unilateral sanctions are said to be four Chinese companies, two Namibian firms, one Chinese individual and one Namibian individual.
 
With the new sanctions, the total number of entities and individuals sanctioned by Tokyo for their links to the North will be 72 and 81, respectively.
 
Japan’s asset-freezing sanctions target those assisting the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, dealing in the North Korean energy trade and facilitating its exportation of workers.
 
Earlier this week, the U.S. imposed its own sanctions on ten entities based in China, Russia, Singapore and Namibia, as well as six individuals from Russia, China and North Korea.
 
The U.S. slapped sanctions against a Chinese Bank in Dandong and a Chinese shipping company in June and Japan followed suit and put the firms on its list of sanctions in July. 
Alannah Hill, KBS World Radio News.

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