Blowing up liaison office
South Korea is suing North Korea for millions
06/14/2023, 2:15 p.m
In 2020, South Korean activists sent leaflets to North Korea calling for the overthrow of the government in Pyongyang. As a reaction to this, they blow up the first joint liaison office. South Korea is now demanding compensation.
South Korea has sued North Korea for millions in damages for blowing up the first joint liaison office three years ago. Such violent behavior by North Korea is not only illegal, but also violates bilateral agreements, the unification ministry said in Seoul. The lawsuit for 44.7 billion won (32.4 million euros) was filed in the Central District Court in Seoul.
It was the first time a South Korean government has sued North Korea, according to Yonhap news agency. The liaison office, which South Korea financed, was located in Kaesong, near the border on North Korean soil. The lawsuit also relates to the damage to another building nearby, which served as a base for South Korean liaison officers. The lawsuit is considered largely symbolic, as Seoul has little means of enforcing its claim.
There is currently radio silence between the two countries due to increased tensions on the Korean peninsula. According to the ministry, South Korea anticipated the expiry of a three-year statute of limitations with the lawsuit. “June 16 is the third anniversary since North Korea destroyed the inter-Korean liaison office.” In June 2020, North Korea responded to a new propaganda leaflet campaign by South Korean activists with the blast and other measures.
In the leaflets that were sent across the border in hot air balloons, they called for the overthrow of the autocratic leadership in Pyongyang. North Korea had accused Seoul of not doing anything about the actions. The liaison office was once considered a “symbol of peace”. Its establishment dates back to the first summit between former South Korean President Moon Jae In and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in April 2018.