A court in Seoul has ordered North Korea to pay approximately $32.5 million for the destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office in June 2020. The ruling, announced by a spokeswoman for the Seoul Central District Court, specifies that North Korea should compensate the South Korean government 44.6 billion won in damages. This lawsuit marks the first instance of the South Korean government seeking damages directly from North Korea.
The Inter-Korean Liaison Office was established in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which previously housed South Korean companies employing North Korean workers. The building was destroyed by North Korea after escalating tensions, which included activists in South Korea sending balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. North Korea labeled the office as 'useless' prior to its demolition.
Following the court's decision, South Korea stated it would 'review the necessary follow-up measures,' although experts believe it is improbable that North Korea will pay the damages. The case was filed in 2023 under the administration of then-South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had a firm stance against North Korea. The liaison office was opened in September 2018, shortly before President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Operations at the office were suspended in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inter-Korean relations peaked in 2018 with three summits between Moon and Kim, but deteriorated after a failed meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in February 2019.