Following the Chongryon (General Association of North Korean Residents in Japan)’s “Homecoming Project” and “Visit the Motherland” from the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), control over residents affiliated with the Chongryon started to slacken. However, the most fundamental reason why Chongryon lost its power was its pro-North Korean status.
Chongryon was founded to advocate for the rights and interests of Korean residents in Japan, but priority activities quickly became giving support to espionage against South Korea and foreign countries.
Chongryon’s domestic and international projects are carried out according to the internal orders of the Chosun (North Korea) Workers’ Party. Under the Chongryon’s grip and management, there have been various veiled organizations, sub-organizations and such like.
The Chongryon originally followed the orders of the United Front Department of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, which is in charge of foreign maneuvers and espionage activities, but since 1997 has been receiving instructions from the Liaison Department. This is because Kang Gwan Ju, who was the Director of the United Front Department, moved to the Liaison Department.
The Liaison Department is the major department which undertakes espionage activities against South Korea; educating spies, dispatching them to the South and establishing underground organizations in South Korea. Therefore, under the guidance and training of the North’s core department, Chongryon conducts systematic espionage through Korean residents in Japan.
Kang visited Japan twice, in 1997 and 1998, in order to instruct Chongryon officials.
In July, 2009, the Liaison Department allegedly handed down an order to Chongryon to approach the Japanese Democratic Party, which was expected to win the general election. Chongryon also asked the Democratic Party to lift the ban on the Mankyungbong, a North Korean ship prohibited from docking at Japanese ports.
Additionally, core Chongryon officials Chairman Seo Man Sul, Vice Chairman Huh Jong Man and another four were elected to the 12th round Supreme People’s Assembly this year.
◆ “Study Group” is just the Japanese branch of the Workers’ Party
The way North Korea influences Chongryon is via “Study Group,” a secret organization management system.
The Study Group overall was founded in 1957 as a secret organization under Chongryon in order to bring up a group of revolutionary fighters loyal to Kim Il Sung and the fatherland’s unification. Until the early 2000s, there were 1,000 or so sub-groups under the Headquarters, branches, sub-organizations and enterprises, according to Japanese intelligence.
It is a secret body which has a pivotal role within Chongryon, working to enforce Chongryon rules; preventing members from leaving Chongryon; sending money to North Korea; and political maneuvers towards Japan and South Korea. North Korea considers expanding these “Study Groups” as a short cut to reinforcing the Chongryon. Therefore, Chongryon occasionally holds lectures in the Headquarters and local branches, as well as making members of the groups feel proud, as great agents whom Kim Jong Il can trust.
According to former Chongryon cadres, there are from three to ten Study Group members in each branch and affiliated enterprise.
They are completely secret groups, so members cannot let others know, not even family members. The exact numbers of these members cannot be figured out, but the Japanese media assumes around 30 percent of full time workers in Chongryon affiliated-organizations or related enterprises are members.
Frankly, the only reason why Chongryon still works is because the study groups still operate.
In 2002, in advance of the Japan-North Korea Summit, there was a move to abolish the Study Groups by Kim Jong Il’s decree, but in 2005 they were open and working again. According to a report carried by Sankei Shimbun, membership usually amounts to approximately 5,000, but currently is only around 2,000.
