TOKYO: A Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) group yesterday reported an arson attack on one of its offices in the latest such incident since the state's declared nuclear test.

The General Association of Korean Residents said it believed a fire in the grounds of its Ibaraki headquarters, east of Tokyo, was started deliberately amid growing threats by right-wing groups.

The Tokyo headquarters of the association, also known as Chongryon, serves as the DPRK's de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations.

Police said the cause of the fire, which destroyed some 50 square metres of woods, was still under investigation.

But the DPRK group said it believed the fire was part of a spate of harrassment against the community in the light of tensions over Pyongyang's test-firing of seven missiles in July and its nuclear test last week.

"Two bottles filled with paint were thrown at the building wall late at night last week," said Lee Dong-je of Chongryon's Ibaraki chapter.

"On Monday more than 10 trucks of right-wing campaigners flocked here and ranted for hours, saying they protested against the nuclear bomb test," he said.

"The fire started near a garbage site. Police and the fire department are investigating the case, but we don't think it was an isolated incident."

(China Daily 10/18/2006 page7)