Ministry of Unification: "Power Supply to Liaison Office Cut Off from 3:40 PM"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] On the 16th, the Ministry of Unification announced that it has cut off the electricity supply to the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office building, which North Korea blew up citing the issue of leaflet distribution against the North.

A Ministry of Unification official stated, "At around 3:40 PM on the same day, the electricity supply to the Kaesong Liaison Office was stopped." The time of the liaison office building explosion announced by North Korea and government authorities was 2:50 PM that day, meaning the government cut off the electricity supply about 50 minutes after the building was blown up.

Until now, the power supply to the liaison office was not generated locally by running a generator but was supplied by drawing electricity from the South Korean side. Initially, the government considered producing and supplying electricity by bringing in generators and fuel to the liaison office, but due to high costs and potential unnecessary controversies such as indirect use during fuel stockpiling, the decision was made to supply electricity via distribution.

The electricity was first supplied in August 2018 when the liaison office was in trial operation. The entry of South Korean electricity into the Kaesong Industrial Complex was the first time in two and a half years since the suspension of the Kaesong Industrial Complex operations in February 2016. However, with North Korea's official announcement of the liaison office building explosion that afternoon, the South Korean electricity supply was again suspended.

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