TOKYO, Oct 11: Japan on Wednesday approved fresh bilateral sanctions on North Korea including a complete ban on North Korean imports in response to its declared nuclear test.

Japan will also prohibit all North Korean ships from Japanese waters and will bar the entry of almost all North Korean nationals.

“To protect lives and the assets of the Japanese people, we cannot tolerate the actions taken by North Korea,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters, after a meeting of the government’s security council.

“Considering the improving capability of North Korea’s missiles and its nuclear capability, Japan is the country that is most affected by the actions of North Korea in terms of security,” he said.—AFP