Pyongyang has promised to strongly counter Japan's raids on pro-North Korean organizations in Tokyo, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The Japanese authorities must face serious consequences for their sinister actions, the agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying Tuesday.

Last Thursday, Japanese police searched six places including the Osaka Prefectural Association of Koreans in Commerce and several homes owned by Koreans, who are allegedly connected with the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea from the 1970s to 1980s.

The spokesman also denounced the Japanese government for withdrawing tax exemption from facilities belonging to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.

The spokesman said the Japanese government had abandoned its promise to treat Koreans in Japan in a friendly manner and not discriminate against them.