The Diet cleared a bill Monday that will allow the government to impose unilateral economic sanctions on North Korea to "maintain Japan's peace and security."

The bill, passed at a House of Councilors plenary session Monday evening, enables the government to suspend cash remittances to and ban investment and trade with any nation judged a threat to Japan's security.

The revision to the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law will likely be used to pressure impoverished North Korea ahead of six-way talks over Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons program on Feb. 25.

A top Foreign Ministry official said Japan has no intention of imposing economic sanctions for the time being. But it will consider such action if Pyongyang creates further trouble, he said, referring to its handling of abductions of Japanese nationals to North Korea and nuclear weapon-related threats.

The bill's approval "may bring out a positive response from North Korea" ahead of the talks, Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi told a regular news conference.

The Upper House Financial Affairs Committee passed the bill with the support of the Liberal Democratic Party, coalition partner New Komeito, and two opposition parties -- the Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party. The Japanese Communist Party voted against it.

Under current law, Japan cannot implement economic sanctions without a United Nations resolution or an agreement with another country to do so. The revision will allow Japan to impose sanctions whenever it sees fit.

The bill will not prevent cash remittances or trade with North Korea via a third country.

The Finance Ministry said about 4 billion yen is remitted to North Korea annually, of which roughly 500 million yen is sent via financial institutions.

The remaining 3.5 billion yen is carried out by travelers via the ferry Myangyongbong-92. The revisions will not stop such methods from continuing.

A group of junior LDP lawmakers is drafting another bill that will allow the government to ban North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports, putting an end to cash remittances via ferry services.

The lawmakers hope to submit the second bill to the Diet by mid-March.