LDP involvement in anti-JCP book comes to light

Akahata of October 4 revealed the Liberal Democratic Party's involvement with the publication of a book slandering the Japanese Communist Party over the North Korea question. Akahata based its revelation on an analysis of the LDP head office's political funds balance sheet for 2002.

The LDP paid the publisher 13.65 million yen (118,000 dollars) in December 2002 for 10,000 copies of the book slandering the JCP over the issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals. The payment was made at the time of the book's first printing.

The president of the publishing company of this book and its author are members of Soka Gakkai. It is known that Soka Gakkai is involved in the publication of the book.

An internal document of a major book distributor has an entry showing a "bulk purchase by the LDP and the Komei Party" of the book. (end)