Unification Ministry Requests Postponement of Ruling on 44.7 Billion Won Damages Lawsuit Against North Korea Over Liaison Office Destruction

"We Are Not Considering Withdrawing the Lawsuit"

The Ministry of Unification has requested the court to postpone the ruling date for its damages claim lawsuit against North Korea related to the 2020 destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office. The ministry explained that it is not currently considering withdrawing the lawsuit, citing the need for practical review of follow-up measures after the verdict.

North Korea reportedly blew up the Inter-Korean Liaison Office around 2:50 p.m. on June 16, 2020, according to the Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap News Agency

An official from the Ministry of Unification told reporters at the Seoul Government Complex on the 11th, "The ruling date, which was scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed to September."

The official further explained, "This is the first time a lawsuit has been filed against North Korean authorities. There are operational demands to review how to proceed after the verdict, so we requested the postponement strictly from a practical perspective." Regarding the possibility of withdrawal, the official stated, "At this point, we are not considering it."

According to the legal community, the Ministry of Unification asked the court to reschedule the ruling for the damages claim lawsuit, originally slated for the 12th. In response, the 46th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court postponed the ruling date to the 16th of next month.

This marks the first time the South Korean government has directly filed a damages suit against North Korea. On June 16, 2020, during the administration of Moon Jae-in, North Korea blew up the Inter-Korean Liaison Office located in the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Subsequently, in June 2023, the administration of former president Yoon Suk-yeol filed a damages lawsuit against North Korea, seeking compensation for approximately 44.7 billion won in losses resulting from the destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.