(Reuters) — North Korea has declared void an agreement to reopen an investigation into the fate of abducted Japanese citizens after Japan imposed sanctions in the wake of Pyongyang’s rocket launch, North Korea’s state media said on Friday (February 12).
“As of February 12, 2016, the comprehensive investigation into Japanese citizens which had been underway by inter-governmental agreement in Stockholm will be totally stopped, and the special investigation committee will be dissolved,” North Korea’s state-run television news reader said.
Pyongyang admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens decades ago. Five abductees and their families later returned to Japan but Tokyo wants to know the fate of the remaining eight, who Pyongyang has said are dead, and others that Japan believes were also kidnapped.
After the meeting in Stockholm, Japan eased some sanctions on North Korea in July 2014 in return for the North reopening its probe into the status of the abduction issues, but little progress has been made.
“Japan’s provocative and hostile actions against DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) will be followed by stronger counter-measures. The Abe regime is totally responsible for today’s grave consequence,” KRT news reader added.
North Korea launched a long-range rocket on February 7 carrying what it said was a satellite, drawing renewed international condemnation just weeks after it carried out a nuclear bomb test on January 6.
Japan said on Wednesday (February 10) it was imposing sanctions on North Korea after the February rocket launch seen by Washington and its allies, including Tokyo, as cover for development of ballistic missile technology that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Friday it was deplorable for North Korea to unilaterally disband the committee, Kyodo news agency reported. He also said Japan was not going to scrap the agreement made by the two countries.