The Latest: Japan’s Abe welcomes US move on North Korea
The Latest on the U. S. declaration of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism (all times local):
Japan’s leader has welcomed America’s re-designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terror.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (SHIN’-zoh AH’-bay) tells reporters in Tokyo that Japan supports the move as a way to increase pressure on North Korea.
His statement Tuesday followed President Donald Trump’s announcement in Washington that the U. S. is putting North Korea on America’s terrorism blacklist. Trump said the designation is long overdue, and promised a new wave of sanctions as part of a maximum-pressure campaign.
Japan is increasingly nervous about North Korean advances in developing nuclear weapons. North Korea has sent missiles over Japan twice this year in tests into the Pacific.
The Trump administration is due to announce new sanctions on North Korea on Tuesday after declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism in the latest push to isolate the pariah nation.
