Twelve facilities of pro-Pyongyang group Chongryun have either been seized or sold to individuals or entities via auction for debt collection or unpaid property taxes, it was learned Tuesday.
The land and buildings for the group's regional headquarters in five prefectures — Nagano, Miyagi, Aichi, Osaka and Shiga — have been seized or are in the process of being put up for auction.
Seven regional facilities in Tokyo and five other prefectures have already been auctioned off to individuals or entities. Some were sold to parties with Chongryun ties and are still used as regional headquarters, but the new owner of the Tokyo regional office is asking the group to move out.
Given Monday's decision by the Tokyo District Court that allowed the seizure of Chongryun's main headquarters in Tokyo in lieu of repaying 62.7 billion yen to a government debt-collection body, there is a possibility the five prefectural offices whose facilities have yet to be auctioned off could be forced to vacate their current premises.
Chongryun is also known as the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
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