The Sankei Shinbun reported Monday that North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong Il abolished "Study Groups," operational organizations in the pro-Pyongyang federation of Korean residents in Japan, or Chosensoren and ordered that his and the deceased Kim Il Sung’s portraits be removed.

Chairman Kim ordered Huh Jong-man, vice-president of the federation, to abolish the study group when Huh visited North Korea last August 9-17 said the newspaper. It added that Chosensoren was planning to disperse the groups' members around the country within two weeks. According to internal data, a Study Group was a "revolutionary organization of Kim Il-sung principles that serve the country." At one time, there were 5,000 members and most officers of Chosensoren are from these organizations.

The newspaper also said that Chairman Kim said Chosensoren must change to an organization with closer ties to Koreans living in Japan, and ordered the portraits, which had strong political characteristics, be taken down. The newspaper analyzed this as a part of an "environmental improvement" before the North Korea- Japan summit talks coming up on September 17.

(Kwon Dae-yeol, dykwon@chosun.com )