South Korean court orders North Korea to pay $32.5 million for blowing up joint liaison office

Seoul, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court has ordered North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won ($32.5 million) for destroying a joint liaison office in 2020, a symbolic ruling due to the lack of a clear method to enforce the payment amid deteriorating relations. The South Korean Unification Ministry, responsible for North Korea affairs, respects the decision and urges the resumption of inter-Korean diplomacy to resolve issues through dialogue and cooperation.

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, has recently intensified his nuclear weapons program and strengthened ties with Russia and China, viewing Seoul as his most hostile enemy. The liaison office was destroyed by North Korea in June 2020 after Seoul failed to stop defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda across the border, and the office had been closed since January due to the coronavirus outbreak.