The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has rejected complaints filed by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryun) over taxes levied on the pro-Pyongyang group, officials said.
The decision allows the metropolitan government to auction off Chongryun properties it has seized. But if the organization takes the issue to court, this would block any sale until a conclusion is reached on the tax issue.
Chongryun's central headquarters and Tokyo office filed the complaints and sought an examination into Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's decision to end the group's tax-exempt status and levy fixed-asset and urban-planning taxes on their properties.
Tokyo imposed fixed-asset and urban-planning taxes of about 60 million yen on the group's properties in July and later seized them after Chongryun failed to pay the taxes. The group paid 22 million yen of the taxes in two installments in September.