More than 20 people have been added to a list of people banned from re-entering the country after visiting North Korea, taking the total to a record 45, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
The government has forbidden in principle the re-entry of foreign residents of Japan convicted of offenses involving trade or financial transactions with North Korea in response to its fourth nuclear test in January and a rocket launch last month, widely seen as a pretext to test long-range ballistic missile technology.
According to the sources, those conditions apply to more than 20 people, including some Chinese and South Korean nationals.