Japan on Tuesday decided to extend unilateral sanctions against North Korea to at least 2017, amid an ongoing struggle to receive a full report from the North on the abduction issue.

The sanctions had been set to expire on April 13 prior to Tuesday’s announcement, with multiple Japanese officials citing the lack of progress and cooperation from North Korea on the issue as the reason for the extension.

“At this point, we are asking North Korea to ensure it quickly conducts the investigation into the abductions and other areas and make sure they report to us,” Yoshihide Suga, the chief