Japan to lift some North Korea sanctions amid report of surviving abductees
Media report says North Korea has handed Tokyo a list of at least ten of Japanese nationals living there, including some believed to have been abducted
Japan was to decide on Thursday on easing some sanctions on North Korea in return for its reopening of a probe into the fate of Japanese citizens abducted by the reclusive state decades ago, as a fresh report emerged that some of them were alive.
The Nikkei business daily newspaper said on Thursday that North Korea had handed Japan names of at least 10 of its nationals said to be living there, including some of those believed to have been abducted.
Tokyo will analyse the list to see if any names match those of reported abductees, and Pyongyang is expected use the list to confirm their whereabouts, the daily said.
The easing of Japanese sanctions, which look likely to have minimal economic impact, could be a first step toward repairing long-chilled ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang, but it also comes at a time of persistent international concerns about the volatile North’s nuclear and missile programmes.
North Korea agreed in May to reopen the probe into the status of Japanese abductees. In return, Japan promised to lift travel curbs, restrictions on the amount of money that can be sent or brought to the impoverished North without notifying Japanese authorities, and allow port calls by North Korean ships for humanitarian purposes, when the investigation was launched.
Pyongyang, however, has a history of reneging on deals.