[Breaking] North Korea Blows Up Kaesong Industrial Complex Liaison Office... Explosion Sound and Smoke Confirmed

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Military authorities are observing that North Korea blew up the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office in Kaesong on the 16th.

According to military sources on the 16th, loud explosions and smoke were witnessed in the Kaesong Industrial Complex area in the afternoon, and it is currently reported that the liaison office building is no longer visible in the area.

The Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office opened in September 2018. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un agreed to establish the liaison office in the Kaesong area through the Panmunjom Declaration on April 27, 2018. Following this, officials from both Koreas resided at the liaison office, enabling 24-hour continuous consultations, which was regarded as a new turning point in inter-Korean communication.

The liaison office building was prepared by renovating a four-story building previously used as the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Consultation Office within the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The South Korean office was located on the 2nd floor, the North Korean office on the 4th floor, and a conference room on the 3rd floor. The inaugural director was from the South, and the deputy director was from the North. Although the directors did not reside at the Kaesong liaison office, they conducted regular weekly meetings and necessary consultations, fulfilling their roles as permanent negotiation representatives. The South Korean side had 30 personnel stationed at the liaison office, including 20 dispatched from related ministries such as the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Korea Forest Service, along with 10 facility maintenance staff. Currently, the office is effectively 'closed.'

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