The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) presented a letter Friday to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, condemning what it called " contemporary forms of xenophobia" in Japan.

The letter, by DPRK Permanent Representative to the United Nations Pak Gil Yon, accused the Japanese government of "abusing the national sovereign rights of Koreans in Japan in wanton violation of the internationally recognized norms and regulations. "

The letter, a copy of which was also sent to UN General Assembly President Sheika Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, said Japanese authorities conducted repeated search operations "against the facilities related to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon)" and forced Chongryon to "sell land and building of the Hall of its Headquarters with an ill-minded attempt to exterminate Chongryon at any cost."

The letter condemned the Japanese moves as "nothing but a wanton infringement upon the sovereignty of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which no preceded regime of Japan so dared."

"Chongryon is a legitimate overseas compatriots organization of the DPRK whose mission is to protect the democratic national rights of the direct victims of the criminal drafting of Koreans by the Japanese imperialists in the past and the Koreans in Japan, their descendants," the letter said.

The DPRK envoy requested that an item entitled "contemporary forms of xenophobia" be included in the agenda of the ongoing sixty-first session of the UN General Assembly and that his letter be circulated as an official document under the agenda items of the UN General Assembly and of the UN Security Council.

On July 1, a DPRK foreign ministry spokesperson said the Japanese moves were aimed to "put the DPRK-Japan relations to the lowest ebb and lay a hurdle in the way of the six-party talks" and that Pyongyang "cannot but raise a serious question as to whether there is any need for its continued participation in the six-party talks."

Source: Xinhua