The Tokyo High Court has rejected an attempt by Chongryon, the pro-Pyongyang Korean group in Japan, to block the sale of its Tokyo headquarters to a Japanese real estate company, endorsing a lower court ruling allowing the deal to proceed.
While Chongryon, otherwise known as the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, is allowed to file a further appeal against the property's sale with the Supreme Court, the process to complete the deal is already underway.
With Monday's high court decision, the real estate firm, Marunaka Holdings, will gain ownership as soon as it pays ¥2.21 billion for the property.
Chongryon is expected to lose the building, which has served as North Korea's de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea.