(VOVworld) - Japan has expressed their regret over North Korea's decision to scrap an investigation into its past abductions of Japanese citizens.

Families of the abducted Japanese victims (Photo: AFP)

Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan continued to do their best to encourage concrete action by North Korea to resolve this issue. Pyongyang on Friday scrapped an investigation into its agents' past abductions of Japanese citizens in response to fresh sanctions imposed by Tokyo over its recent nuclear and long-range rocket tests.

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation broadening sanctions to punish North Korea for its nuclear program, human rights record and cyber crimes, and sent the measure to President Barack Obama to sign into law. Lawmakers said they wanted to make Washington's resolve clear to Pyongyang, but also to the United Nations and other governments, especially China, North Korea's lone major ally and main business partner. The package includes sanctions targeting North Korea and "secondary sanctions" against those who do business with it.