The Kumamoto District Court on Thursday rejected a demand by a group working on behalf of Japanese abducted by North Korea that the Kumamoto Municipal Government halt tax benefits enjoyed by a pro-North Korea organization's facility here.
The city has said the tax breaks apply to the Kumamoto Korean hall owned by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryun) because it serves as a public facility for ethnic Korean residents. The court agreed.
It was the first court decision on whether Chongryun's properties should be subject to local taxes.
The plaintiffs, members of the Kumamoto chapter of the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN), immediately appealed the ruling to the Fukuoka High Court.