S. Korea proposes UN probe over Japanese sanctions claims

South Korea has proposed an investigation by the United Nations or another international body as it continues to reject Japanese claims that Seoul could not be trusted to faithfully implement sanctions against North Korea.

Seoul's presidential office said Friday that South Korea has been thoroughly implementing UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.

It demanded that Japan to provide evidence for claims made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his conservative aides that there may have been illegal transfers of sensitive materials from South Korea to North Korea.

Tokyo last week tightened the approval process for Japanese shipments of photoresists and other sensitive materials to South Korea, saying such materials can be exported only to trustworthy trading partners.