TOKYO, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan has banned 22 people from re-entering Japan after visiting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), local media reported on Sunday.
The banning came following Japan, South Korea, the United States and the United Nations Security Council approving tougher sanctions on the DPRK for conducting a fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch last month.
Local media reported that those on the banning list include a rocket engine expert, who holds a doctorate degree from the prestigious University of Tokyo and is an expert in developing missile engines, allegedly having connections to the DPRK.
Quoting a Japanese government source, the Kyodo News Agency reported that others on the banning list include officials from the the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, known here as Chongryon, as well as others connected to an association of Korean scientists and engineers who are registered as living in Japan.
Read the full story at Xinhua