Seoul: The government has requested a Seoul court to delay its ruling in a damages suit against North Korea concerning the 2020 demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, a unification ministry official announced on Tuesday. The postponement follows the ministry's need to assess post-ruling measures, given that this legal action marks the first time the South Korean government has sought compensation from the North.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the unification ministry initiated the lawsuit in June 2023, seeking compensation for the incident. Initially, the ruling was scheduled for Wednesday but has been rescheduled to September 16 at the ministry's request. "The ministry is not considering canceling the case at this point," the official clarified, emphasizing the government's commitment to pursuing the legal action.
The lawsuit, filed with the Seoul Central District Court against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name, demands 44.7 billion won (US$31.6 million) in damages. This amount accounts for losses to South Korean state property resulting from the demolition. The North Korean government demolished the joint liaison office on June 16, 2020, as a protest against Seoul's failure to prevent defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.
The total damages include 10.25 billion won for the liaison office itself and 34.45 billion won for a nearby support facility that sustained significant damage during the demolition, the ministry reported. Despite the legal action, Seoul acknowledges the symbolic nature of this lawsuit, as collecting compensation from the North poses significant challenges. Even with a favorable ruling, the South Korean government lacks the means to compel Pyongyang to pay.
The liaison office, established in September 2018, aimed to facilitate inter-Korean exchange and cooperation during a period of diplomatic rapprochement following summit talks between the leaders of the two Koreas in April of that year. However, operations were suspended in January 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.