The global pressure is mounting on North Korea over the sinking of a South Korean warship where forty six of its sailors died in the March 26 disaster of this year.
North Korea has denied responsibility and has warned that any unwarranted reaction of that sort would mean war.
As an apparent reaction to the incident, Japan is charging new more sanctions to North Korea by holding down on money transfers while leaders of Japan and the US pledged cooperation in taking the North before the UN Security Council.
A multi team of investigators denounced the incident on a North Korean made torpedo that had caused the disaster. Any UN Security Council action would need the backing of key permanent member China, North Korea’s main ally.
Tensions had been going on at the Korean Peninsula since the May 20, 2010 release of the investigation report.
South Korean had already cut off trade and continued its anti North Korean broadcasts across the demilitarized zone.
On Thursday (May 27) it has launched large scale naval drill off the coast, with the US – South Korean military exercises to follow in the coming months.
On that same day, North Korea has warned to attack any South Korean ships entering its waters and has scrapped an accord meant to prevent naval clashes.
So far, there is no problem for South Korean workers that have cross the border for jobs at a joint industrial facility in the North.
Japan, which has already restricted trade with the North, said Friday that it will decrease the amount of money that can be sent to North Korea without being consented by The Japanese government.
Tokyo also said it will reduce the amount of cash that travelers can take into North Korea, an obvious move to stop funds going to the North by ethnic Koreans in Japan.
Japan chief cabinet secretary Hirofumi Hirano reacting to the sinking of the ship as an offense “unforgivable” and suggested in Tokyo that the government is considering more sanctions.
Both the US and Japan condemned the incident and both vowed to cooperate with South Korea on taking North Korea to the Security Council.