North Korean ships will be banned from Japan

The bill to authorize the government to prohibit North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports became law after it was approved by the Upper House on June 14 by the majority of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Democratic parties.

Under the new law, the cabinet can ban certain vessels from Japanese ports for a certain period if such a ban is considered necessary to maintain peace and security.

The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill on the grounds that it conflicts with the consensus reached last August by Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, and the United States at the six-party meeting on North Korea to the effect that they will not take actions that would exacerbate the situation concerning North Korea.

The JCP argued that Japan should comply with the six-nation agreement to peacefully resolve the issues related to North Korea and that putting pressure or imposing sanctions on North Korea will be unproductive to resolving problems through dialogue. (end)