Japan imposes sanctions on 5 North Korean organizations

Japan on Tuesday announced imposing additional sanctions on five more North Korean organizations over their involvement in the country's nuclear and missile program, an official said.

Announcing the decision, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said that the Cabinet has approved sanctions on five more organizations after the recent missile tests carried out by Pyongyang.

North Korea's provocations are "serious and imminent threats" to Japan's security and such "reckless actions" threatening international peace and stability are "absolutely intolerable," Kyodo News Agency quoted Matsuno as saying.

"Japan urges North Korea to take concrete actions toward resolving various issues," including its nuclear and missile development programs as well as its past abductions of Japanese nationals, Matsuno said.

Last week, South Korea also imposed sanctions on 15 North Korean individuals and 16 institutions in response to recent missile tests and drills by tactical nuclear operation units.

This was for the first time Seoul announced its unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang since 2017.

On Oct. 4, the U.S. and South Korean forces held live-fire joint drills after North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan, the first such instance in five years.

Tensions on the peninsula rose in 2020 when North Korea attacked and blew up the inter-Korean liaison office along the border. Seoul has threatened a strong response if Pyongyang "further worsens the situation."

However, tensions soared further recently after Seoul and Washington held joint military drills.