March 21, 2023
News

Seoul NGO suspected of illegally importing North Korean art, under investigation

South Korean authorities looking into whether organization brought in paintings without receiving government approval

South Korean police recently began an investigation into a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) on suspicions that they imported North Korean art in violation of ROK law, police in Gyeonggi Province near Seoul have told NK News.

The Asia Pacific Exchange Association (APIA), a Seoul-based NGO working on returning the remains of victims of colonial forced labor from Japan, may not have received government permission before importing the materials, according to Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police.