Ruling in damages suit against N. Korea over liaison office demolition pushed back to next month

Seoul has asked a court to delay a ruling in a damages case against North Korea for the 2020 demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, the unification ministry announced on Tuesday. This marks the first time South Korea has taken legal action against the North, prompting the ministry to request the postponement to review post-ruling measures.

The ruling, initially scheduled for Wednesday, will now be held on September 16 at the Seoul Central District Court. The lawsuit seeks 44.7 billion won (US$31.6 million) in compensation for losses to South Korean state property, including the demolition of the liaison office and an adjacent facility. North Korea destroyed the joint office on June 16, 2020, in response to Seoul's failure to curb North Korean defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.

Despite the potential for significant damages, collecting compensation from North Korea appears largely symbolic due to the country's limited capacity to pay.