North Korea accuses Japan of plotting suppression of resident Koreans

PYONGYANG: North Korea on Wednesday accused Japanese authorities of plotting an overall suppression of pro-Pyongyang resident Koreans in Japan.

The official Rodong Sinmun said that the recent attack by two armed right-wing elements of Japan against the Central Hall of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) proved Japanese authorities were responsible for the frantic moves to "stamp out North Korea and Chongryon" from Japanese soil.

"The Japanese authorities, who started an investigation into the arrested criminals, have so far pretended ignorance, to give the impression that the case was committed by an individual organisation or person," Xinhua quoted the daily of the ruling Workers` Party of Korea.

"This unpardonable act (attack by right-wingers) is an open challenge to North Korea and a prelude to the overall suppression of Chongryon," said the daily.

Pyongyang regards Chongryon as its de facto diplomatic mission in Japan with which it does not have official relations.

North Korea media also accused Japanese authorities of discrimination against pro-Pyongyang resident Korean schools.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Wednesday that the Gunma prefectural authorities of Japan suspended the payment of subsidies to the Korean junior and middle school in the prefecture on Monday amid the Japanese government`s unabated discrimination against Korean schools in Japan.

The Japanese authorities decided not to include subsidies to the school in their 2018 budget on the unreasonable grounds that the school has not been true to the "provisions" it is obliged to carry out, the KCNA was quoted as saying.

Those "provisions" are that the school should specify the "abduction issue" in textbooks and cease its ties with Chongryon.