The Gunma Prefectural Government wants to take down a monument in the city of Takasaki commemorating Korean forced laborers in wartime Japan, according to a local citizens’ group administering the memorial.

The group’s members said they are refusing to comply with the government’s insistent requests to remove the monument, which is located in a prefectural park.

Representatives of the group said the prefecture had rejected their application to renew permission for the monument, claiming the park was being used for political campaigning in violation of a law prohibiting the use of public places for political activities.

“In commemoration of Korean victims who were forced to labor” is inscribed in Japanese and Hangul on the stone monument, which was put up in 2004. Permission to maintain the monument must be obtained from the prefecture every 10 years. That agreement expired in January.

Officials declined to comment on whether the prefectural government has been pushing the group to remove the monument. Meanwhile, its members insist “we will never accept their request” and plan to continue to protest.

The monument was initiated by Giichi Tsunoda, a former Upper House vice president who stepped down in 2007 after his connections with Chongryon, the pro-Pyongyang group also known as the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, came to light.

According to the Takasaki group, the discussion over whether to renew the agreement was sparked by remarks made by top Chongryon members during a memorial service at the monument in April 2012. The group’s representatives reportedly commented on the central government’s efforts to exclude Korean high schools in Japan from a free-tuition program.

“The government tries to eliminate ethnic education,” Chongryon’s head was quoted as saying.

Chongryon operates ethnic Korean schools across Japan, initially partly funded by the North Korean government.

Members of the Takasaki citizens’ group say they were asked to remove the monument during a meeting at the prefectural government’s headquarters on Friday. The representatives rejected the request. They proposed instead to either acquire the land where the monument sits or cancel memorial celebrations there for the time being.

In June, the Gunma Prefectural Assembly approved a petition demanding that the agreement between the prefecture and the Takasaki group be annulled.

“If the (prefectural government) doesn’t extend our permission, we will go to court to fight for it,” said a Takasaki group representative.