Japan imposed a fresh asset freeze on six organizations and four individuals linked to North Korea on Wednesday in line with tougher U.N. sanctions introduced in response to Pyongyang's rocket launch in December.
The organizations and individuals newly subject to Japanese sanctions include the Korean Committee for Space Technology and its senior officials. The organization was involved in December's rocket launch — in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions — which North Korea says put a satellite into orbit and the world at large believed was a guised test of a long-range ballistic missile.
The 15-member U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted the sanctions resolution Jan. 22, expressing its determination to take "significant action" in the event of another launch or nuclear test by Pyongyang.