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Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved new financial sanctions against a suspected North Korean arms dealer and 15 North Korean companies and organizations, including the Pyongyang Information Center and Ponghwa Hospital in Pyongyang.

The Pyongyang Information Center is a computer program developer founded in 1986 with the sponsorship of an Osaka member of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryeon. It agreed to conduct joint research with South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology in 2001 and runs a joint venture in China with a South Korean company.

The sanctions will effectively freeze North Korea’s assets in Japan by banning withdrawals and overseas remittances from the targets’ accounts in Japanese banks.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe told reporters the targets are suspected of financing North Korea’s development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, Australia imposed financial sanctions on 12 companies and one individual suspected of involvement in North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons. Australia is one of the few Western countries that maintain official diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said "This supports and complements similar action taken by Japan today and previous actions taken by the U.S., and sends a strong message to North Korea."

Targets are 11 Pyongyang-headquartered companies, one Swiss company and a Swiss-based businessperson under suspicion of financing North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. They are reportedly also on the Japanese list.

(englishnews@chosun.com )