Japan imposes fresh sanctions on North Korea; assets frozen

Japan, Dec 13: In order to built more pressure on North Korea for denuclearisation Japan has imposed fresh sanctions on it.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the assets of another 19 entities and individuals would be frozen.

Individuals and organisations from China and Russia will now be targeted.

Japan has included some businesses on the blacklist, which include banks, coal and minerals traders, and transport firms.

The widening of sanctions comes ahead of a meeting of the UN Security Council to be held on Friday.

Japan said it is facing a "pressing threat unseen before" after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) across its territory in September.

"North Korea launched an ICBM ballistic missile that landed in our exclusive economic zone and continues to repeat provocative commentaries", Mr Suga told reporters on Friday.