The Kyoto District Court gave suspended prison terms Thursday to two South Korean men for illegally importing mushrooms from North Korea, in a case that also involved the son of the head of Pyongyang's de facto embassy in Japan.
Lee Tong-chol, 61, president of a Tokyo-based trading firm, and Kim Bang-on, 42, who works for the company, both received 18-month prison sentences, suspended for four years.
Japan has banned imports from North Korea as part of sanctions against its neighbor over its nuclear and missile development programs.
Ho Jong-do, the 50-year-old son of Ho Jong-man, who is the chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon, has also been found guilty over the illegal import of matsutake mushrooms, with the court judging that he conspired with Lee and Kim.
Lee and Kim pleaded not guilty, saying they were not aware they were handling North Korean produce.
But presiding judge Ayako Nakagawa rejected their arguments, saying the two knew they were importing goods originating in North Korea.
The defendants "played an important and essential role, and do not seem to be reflecting on (their conduct)," the judge said.
According to the ruling, the men imported about 3 tons of matsutake mushrooms produced in North Korea, worth around ¥7.6 million ($62,000), via China in September 2010. They falsely reported to customs that the products were grown in China.
The court also fined Lee's company ¥1.5 million, as demanded by prosecutors.
Japanese investigators have alleged North Korea aimed to obtain foreign currency by exporting the highly prized mushrooms.
Chongryon has effectively functioned as North Korea's embassy in Japan for decades in the absence of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang.