rki.news | Sources Anadolu
SEOUL, Sept. 16 — A South Korean court ordered North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won ($32.5 million) in damages for demolishing an inter-Korean liaison office.
The Seoul District Court granted the South Korean government’s claim over the demolition of the office in the Kaesong border area on June 16, 2020. North Korea was ordered to pay interest until the damages are settled.
The ruling marked the South Korean government’s first victory in a damages lawsuit filed against North Korea, according to local media.
However, enforcing the judgment remains uncertain because Seoul has no means of compelling Pyongyang to make the payment.
South Korea and North Korea opened the joint liaison office in September 2018, following the Panmunjom Declaration signed by then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in April that year.
Inter-Korean relations deteriorated, and communication between the two sides has not resumed since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year.
The judgment comes amid continued tensions and limited contact between Seoul and Pyongyang.
South Korean Court Orders North Korea to Pay Damages
