 The opposition Japan Socialist Party nonetheless had cordial relations with the North Korean regime.Japan allowed trade with North Korea only through unofficial channels, reportedly exceeding US$200 million annually in the 1980s.Issues in Japan–North Korea relations that produced tensions included North Korean media attacks on Japan, Japan's imposition of economic sanctions on North Korea for terrorist acts against South Korea in the 1980s, and unpaid North Korean debts to Japanese enterprises of about $50 million.