Seoul Court Orders North Korea to Pay 44.6 Billion Won Over Liaison Office Blast

A Seoul court ordered North Korea to pay the South Korean government about 44.6 billion won in damages for demolishing the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, delivering a landmark judgment whose practical enforcement remains uncertain.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled for the government on Wednesday and directed North Korea to pay 44,626,410,722 won, along with interest for delayed payment. The case marked the first damages lawsuit filed by the South Korean state against North Korea, and the first-instance judgment came roughly three years and three months after the government began the action.

The liaison office opened in Kaesong in September 2018 following the Panmunjom Declaration reached that April by then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Designed as a permanent channel for communication and cooperation, it became one of the most visible symbols of the brief diplomatic thaw between the two Koreas.

North Korea destroyed the building on June 16, 2020, after objecting to anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by some defector groups. The blast also damaged a nearby support facility. The South Korean government later estimated losses to state property at approximately 44.7 billion won, including 10.25 billion won for the liaison office and 34.45 billion won for the adjacent support center.

The Ministry of Unification filed the lawsuit in June 2023 to preserve the state’s claim and prevent the limitation period from expiring. Because court documents could not be delivered directly to North Korean authorities, the proceedings relied on service by public notice, a legal mechanism that allows a case to advance when ordinary delivery is not feasible.

Despite the ruling, collecting the award is likely to be difficult. North Korea is not expected to voluntarily pay, and South Korea currently lacks an obvious practical mechanism to compel compliance. The decision therefore carries substantial legal and symbolic weight even if immediate recovery of the damages remains remote.

The Unification Ministry said after the judgment that it respected the court’s decision and would review the necessary follow-up measures. It also expressed hope that inter-Korean dialogue would resume so that outstanding issues between the two sides could eventually be addressed through talks and cooperation.

The court had postponed the ruling once at the ministry’s request. Officials said additional time was needed to consider possible steps after a judgment in the government’s unprecedented civil case against North Korea.