A South Korean court has ordered North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won (US$32.5 million) in damages to the South Korean government over the 2020 destruction of an inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.
The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling on Wednesday, September 16, granting the South Korean government’s claim in full. The court also ordered North Korea to bear the litigation costs.
The damages cover 10.25 billion won for the liaison office building and 34.45 billion won for an adjacent inter-Korean support facility that was seriously damaged in the blast.
The four-storey liaison office was opened in September 2018 as a permanent channel for communication and cooperation between the two Koreas, following a period of improved relations and summits between their leaders.
Operations were suspended in January 2020 because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 16, 2020, North Korea demolished the building with explosives after criticising Seoul for failing to prevent North Korean defectors and activists from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border.
South Korea filed the damages lawsuit in June 2023, making it the first time the South Korean government had brought a civil case directly against North Korea. The proceedings went ahead without a North Korean representative.
The ruling is unlikely to result in an immediate payment. South Korea has no practical means of compelling Pyongyang to comply with the judgment, and North Korea has not participated in the proceedings.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it respected the court’s decision and would take the necessary follow-up measures. It also expressed hope that dialogue between the two Koreas would resume so outstanding issues could be addressed through cooperation.
The case comes amid continued tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, despite efforts by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s government to reopen dialogue. North Korea has so far remained unresponsive to those efforts.