Real estate developer Marunaka Holdings Co. has been told by a court to pay for Chongryon’s Tokyo headquarters building and land by Dec. 8, the company said Monday.

Marunaka, the successful bidder for the property, vowed to pay the bid price of ¥2.21 billion by the deadline.

The pro-Pyongyang group Chongryon is also known as the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.

As soon as the Tokyo District Court confirms the payment, Marunaka will acquire ownership of the building, which has functioned as North Korea’s de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang.

The developer, which has said it is buying the property for investment purposes, is expected to demand that Chongryon vacate the building immediately.

If the group refuses to do so, Marunaka may apply to the court for compulsory seizure of the building.

The court decided in 2012 to auction the property as requested by the government-backed Resolution and Collection Corp. to raise money to help cover the group’s heavy debt.

The court selected Marunaka, based in Kagawa Prefecture, as the successful bidder last March after a Mongolian firm that had made a higher bid was disqualified on procedural grounds.

In May, Chongryon appealed against a Tokyo High Court decision upholding the district court’s decision to approve the sale of the property to Marunaka. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal on Nov. 4.