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North Korea sanctions-violating ships allowed into Japan

By Elizabeth Shim
North Korea is banned from exporting coal under United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions. File Photo by KCNA/EPA
North Korea is banned from exporting coal under United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions. File Photo by KCNA/EPA

Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Japan confirmed vessels under North Korea sanctions were admitted to Japanese ports and that the ships were not found in violation of law.

Tokyo's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday ships under South Korean sanctions for transporting North Korea coal have been frequenting Japan, NHK reported.

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"It is our understanding the ships were entering our ports, even after the ban of the South Korean government," Suga said.

In August 2018, Seoul had placed several ships under sanctions in compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to South Korean paper Asia Business.

Suga's comments come a day after Japan's Kyodo News reported ships under South Korean sanctions were permitted to dock in Japan. Kyodo used ship-tracking data from private companies and from Japan's maritime security agency in its report.

The ships have been permitted to dock in Japan more than 100 times following U.N. sanctions resolutions against North Korean coal exports, according to Kyodo.

North Korea sanctions-violating ships are being allowed into Japan at a time when Japan has claimed South Korea has violated U.N. sanctions against North Korea. Tokyo had said in July it was restricting export of chemicals to South Korea because they could be used as weapons in the North. Japan never produced evidence of South Korea sanctions violations.

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Japan has also dismissed South Korean concerns regarding radioactive waste.

News 1 reported Monday Japan's food exports to South Korea contained radionuclides, including cesium.

There have been 6,529 cases of radioactive material found in Japanese food exports since the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, South Korean lawmaker Song Young-gil said Monday.

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