calendar>>October 18. 2008 Juche 97

Japan's Measure for Extension of "Sanctions" against DPRK under Fire

Pyongyang, October 17 (KCNA) -- Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), called a press conference at the Korean Hall in Tokyo on October 10 and released a statement denouncing the Japanese authorities' another extension of "sanctions" against the DPRK.

The statement referred to the unwarranted decision to extend "sanctions" against the DPRK for six months made by the Japanese government at a meeting of cabinet ministers on October 10.

Everyone knows that the "sanctions" only deteriorate the DPRK-Japan confrontation and bilateral relations, the statement noted, and went on:

The Japanese authorities' politically-motivated suppression of Chongryon and human rights abuses against Koreans in Japan under the cloak of "sanctions" are unpardonable fascist violence.

We once again demand the Japanese government immediately repeal the unwarranted "sanctions" going against the world public opinion and the trend of the times and take sincere approach to the issues of settling the past and normalizing the DPRK-Japan relations in the spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration.

In particular, we strongly demand the Japanese authorities stop the politically-motivated suppression of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan and human rights abuses against them and lift embargo on the ship "Mangyongbong-92" and regulation banning reentry into Japan of all Koreans in Japan at once.