Japan on Wednesday again threatened to impose economic sanctions on North Korea after the reclusive state formally dismissed Tokyo's protest against its probe into the fate of 10 missing Japanese.
But it remains to be seen whether Japan will actually impose the sanctions, particularly as optimism is growing that six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program might resume as early as next month.
The government will likely be caught in the middle between public pressure to impose economic sanctions and calls from members of the six-way framework, including the United States, to avoid giving North Korea any further reason to postpone the talks.