Seoho Liaison Office Chief: "North Korea Must Take Appropriate Responsibility for the Explosion" (Comprehensive)

Joint Chief of Inter-Korean Liaison Office (Unification Ministry Vice Minister) Statement
"Unreasonable, Unacceptable Act... Strong Protest"
"Violation of Panmunjom Declaration, Shocking the World"
Regarding Legal Actions Such as Compensation, "Will Consider"

Seo Ho, Vice Minister of Unification and head of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office, is expressing his position on the demolition of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office by North Korea on the afternoon of the 16th at the Government Seoul Office Joint Briefing Room.

Seo Ho, head of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office (Vice Minister of Unification), stated on the 16th, "The unilateral demolition of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office building by the North today is an unprecedented, irrational, and unacceptable act in inter-Korean relations. We express deep regret and strongly protest this action."

Seo issued a statement at the Government Seoul Office regarding the North's demolition of the liaison office, saying, "The North must bear appropriate responsibility for this action."

He emphasized, "The destruction of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office violates the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration and is a unilateral breach of the agreement on the establishment and operation of the Joint Liaison Office."

Seo added, "The North's harsh rhetoric, followed by the unilateral communication blackout and the destruction of the Joint Liaison Office, shocked not only our people but the entire world. Especially, this act occurring the day after the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration betrays the hopes of all those wishing for peace on the Korean Peninsula."

After issuing the statement, Seo told reporters that he would "review various options" when asked if legal responsibility such as compensation would be sought from the North. The property and ownership of the liaison office belong to the South, and the North's unilateral demolition clearly constitutes an infringement of property rights.

On the afternoon of the 16th, the Kaesong Joint Liaison Office building is being demolished. The images show the demolition in a clockwise direction starting from the top left.

Meanwhile, North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency, reported on the same day, "At 14:50 on the 16th, the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office was miserably destroyed with a loud explosion."

The agency stated, "In response to the enraged public sentiment demanding that the culprits and those who condoned them be punished, following the severance of all communication lines between the North and South, our side took measures to completely destroy the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office located in the Kaesong Industrial Complex."

Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, had earlier declared in a statement on the 13th that she was handing over the 'next hostile action' authority to the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, saying, "Soon, you will witness the miserable sight of the useless Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office collapsing without a trace." The warning became reality just three days later.

Thus, the liaison office, which opened in Kaesong in September 2018 following the agreement between the South and North Korean leaders on April 27, 2018, under the Panmunjom Declaration, disappeared into history after 19 months of operation.

The liaison office was opened with symbolic significance as the first '24 hours, 365 days' consultation channel in inter-Korean relations.

In the Panmunjom Declaration, the South and North Korean leaders agreed to "establish the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office in the Kaesong area, where officials from both sides would be stationed, to closely coordinate government-to-government consultations and smoothly guarantee civilian exchanges and cooperation."

The government renovated a building previously used as the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Consultation Office within the Kaesong Industrial Complex, spending a total of 9.78 billion KRW, including 3.49 billion KRW for materials, and began using it as the liaison office from September of that year.

Despite controversies such as sanctions violations during the preparation process, the opening ceremony was successfully held on September 14 last year, attended by then Minister of Unification Cho Myoung-gyon and Ri Son-gwon, Chairman of the North Korean Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.

The liaison office building was a renovated four-story structure formerly used as the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Consultation Office within the Kaesong Industrial Complex. South Korean personnel were stationed on the second floor, and North Korean personnel on the fourth floor, regularly meeting face-to-face.

Shortly after opening, various inter-Korean talks and working-level meetings in fields such as forestry cooperation, sports, healthcare cooperation, and communications were often held at the liaison office. The government had praised the liaison office as a representative achievement in inter-Korean relations.

However, after the Hanoi North Korea-U.S. summit ended in a 'no deal' in February last year, the inter-Korean chief-level meetings were suspended, leading to dysfunctional operations and misfortune.

With the added variable of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), South Korean personnel withdrew starting January 30 this year, and face-to-face consultations were completely halted, culminating in the demolition.

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