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North Korea's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it is deeply concerned about Japan's participation in the six-way talks on the North's nuclear weapons program, accusing Tokyo of trying to disband a pro-Pyongyang group based there.

"These days the Abe group's anti-Chongryon campaign has reached such a reckless and hideous phase that it can never be tolerated," an unidentified ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the North's official news agency, referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Chongryon is the Korean name for the General Association of Korean Residents, a group of pro-North Korean residents in Japan.

Founded in 1955, the organization has served as Pyongyang's de-facto diplomatic mission in Tokyo, as they have no diplomatic relations. Chongryon is reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy, however, after a Japanese court sanctioned the seizure of the premises of Chongryon's headquarters last month due to its failure to repay debts. "This is nothing but a wanton infringement upon the sovereignty of the DPRK, which no previous regime of Japan dared as it is a move to physically remove the center of activities of Chongryon, a champion of democratic national rights of Koreans in Japan," the ministry said i a statement. DPRK is the short for the North's official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Pyongyang warned that Tokyo's move will affect progress in the six-way talks, the resumption of which is said to be imminent.

"The aim sought by Japan in chilling the efforts to bring about progress in the six-party talks designed to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is to drag on the settlement of the problem in a bid to use it as a pretext until its militarization has become a reality," it said.

The North said it cannot help but raise a serious question as to whether there is any need for Japan to continue to join the Beijing-based talks.

"The DPRK will never remain a passive onlooker to the Abe group's harsh suppression of Chongryon and its relevant field will take necessary steps against it," it said, stopping short of elaborating on what the steps will be.

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap News)