Kwon Young-se: "If No Action Taken, We Fall for North Korea's Gaslighting"

Minister of Unification, CBS Radio Interview
"Lawsuit Filed to Hold Accountability"
"If No Action Taken, Right to Claim Damages Disappears"

The government has filed a lawsuit seeking damages worth 44.7 billion won against North Korea for blowing up the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office. Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se stated, "We filed the lawsuit from the standpoint that we will definitely hold North Korea accountable when it is possible to do so."

Minister Kwon appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 16th and explained the background of the lawsuit, saying, "If we had just accepted today without any action, the claim for damages against North Korea's outrageous illegal act would have expired due to the statute of limitations."

Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

He added, "Even if North Korea commits wrongful acts, if we just turn a blind eye or ignore them, North Korea will think that such wrongful behavior will never be corrected," and said, "If we pass without taking any action, it means we are condoning North Korea's wrongful attitude, and on the other hand, our society is falling for North Korea's gaslighting."

Regarding the lawsuit procedure, he said, "It is the same as a general lawsuit," and added, "We do not treat North Korea as a country, as stated in the Basic Agreement between South and North Korea. North Korea views us the same way."

Minister Kwon said, "However, legally speaking, it might be considered something like an unincorporated association. This is the first time the state has filed a lawsuit against North Korea, but there have been several cases where individuals filed lawsuits against North Korea," and gave an example: "For instance, former POWs have filed claims for damages against North Korea. It is possible to file lawsuits against North Korea."

Regarding the effectiveness of the lawsuit, he said, "There are two meanings in conducting a trial: one is to secure the claim abstractly, and the other is to secure the claim concretely."

He continued, "To secure it concretely, North Korea must have assets so that we can enforce the judgment after winning the case, but that part may not be easy," and added, "Securing the claim against North Korea so that it does not disappear due to the statute of limitations and stating that we will enforce it someday is a very meaningful part."

Minister Kwon also revealed that legal lawsuits are being considered regarding North Korea's unauthorized suspension of operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and unauthorized dismantling of facilities in Mount Kumgang. He said, "Since the statute of limitations for the Joint Liaison Office is about to expire, we prioritized this," and added, "We plan to review and proceed with legal procedures for the remaining issues as well."

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