TOKYO - (Yahoo! News)
A North Korea official threatened "strong countermeasures" against Japan if it goes ahead with new sanctions against the communist regime, Kyodo News agency reported from Pyongyang on Thursday.
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Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador in charge of diplomatic normalization talks with Japan, was quoted as saying in an interview Wednesday with Kyodo News that Pyongyang is still trying to assess what new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has in mind for Tokyo's relations with Pyongyang.

Japan has taken steps to punish North Korea for its claimed nuclear test Monday, prohibiting its ships from entering Japanese ports and imposing a total ban on imports from the impoverished nation.

North Korean nationals are also prohibited from entering Japan, with limited exceptions, the Japanese Cabinet Office said in a statement released after an emergency security meeting late Wednesday.

A total ban on imports and ships could be disastrous for North Korea, whose produce such as clams and mushrooms earns precious foreign currency on the Japanese market. Ferries also serve as a major conduit of communication between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061012/ap_on_.../koreas_nuclear

Chamillionare - Ridin' Dirty

Reaction from around the world (Independent Online)

North Korea

Unidentified Official: 'We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes. That depends on how the US will act.'

United States

John Bolton, US Ambassador to the UN: 'This is the way North Korea typically negotiates by threat and intimidation. It's worked for them before. It won't work for them now.'

Russia

Sergei Ivanov, Foreign Minister: 'A nuclear device was tested, it is a colossal blow to the nonproliferation regime. North Korea de facto has become the ninth nuclear power.'

China

Wang Guangya, Ambassador to the UN: 'I think that there has to be some punitive actions. We need to have a firm, constructive, appropriate but prudent response to North Korea's nuclear threat.'

Japan

Statement from Parliament: 'As the only country to have ever suffered a nuclear attack... Japan strongly condemns North Korea's actions and demands that it abandon its nuclear weapons programme.'

Eh, now I agree with Jaimu and SantaKlaws.

hmmm...is kaboom the right word?

Deep down no matter how much of a menace NK is, most Koreans would be smiling if any part of Japan was nuked again. I think I can speak on behalf of most Koreans when I say that, sad but true

Kind of like a guilty pleasure.

I'm sure many Chinese will also be giggling to ourselves when Japan is nuked, but the economy will suffer big time.

As long as we try to refrain from any bolsterous and rowdy celebrations then thats fine with me. At least don't make it so obvious.

I can understand why many Chinese and Koreans feel that way but Japan was already nuked. The newer generations of Japanese people had nothing to do with the war, it would extremely wrong to cheer if innocent Japanese civilians were killed today. Those who see otherwise simply have no sense of morality or ethics whatsoever.

2pac - when we ride on our enemies

I think there is now discussion that Japan should become nuclear nwo that everyone is getting nukes.

Interesting responses.

I agree. As much as I boil with anger each and everytime I see pictures of the nanking massacre I know deep down inside I could never bring myself to wish something like that upon them especially this generation. However I'd love for somebody to nuke the shrine.

Agreed, the Japanese government today need to stop visiting that damn shrine. Their excuse as to why is rather quite pathetic "We're not a vassal state to China, we're a sovereign country, we can do whatever we want". The thing is nobody is threatening Japan's sovereignty or hoping she become a vassal state, its just a matter of decency and honor. Germany today is 100% sovereign and has totally outlawed Nazism. Imagine if the Germans said the same thing, the whole world would go ape$hit.

Bone Thugz N Harmony - Change the World

the aliens will stop the nuke