Government: "North Korea Dismantles Temporary Structures of Our Companies Outside Kaesong Industrial Complex"

It has been confirmed that the external facilities of the Kaesong Industrial Complex recently dismantled by North Korea were buildings installed through investments by our economic cooperation companies.

An official from the Ministry of Unification stated to reporters on the 2nd that the building near the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was recently reported to have been dismantled, "was confirmed to be a temporary building installed by our economic cooperation companies for investment purposes outside the Kaesong Industrial Complex area."

North Korea blew up the Inter-Korean Liaison Office on June 16, 2020.

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Earlier, Voice of America (VOA) reported on the 27th of last month, based on satellite images, that a building located about 50 meters from the entrance of the Kaesong Industrial Complex was dismantled. It was also speculated that the building might have been used to control South Korean personnel entering and exiting the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

However, the Ministry of Unification official explained, "The economic cooperation company built the building with government approval for investment in the North, separate from the Kaesong Industrial Complex," and added, "It was never actually used even during the period when the Kaesong Industrial Complex was operational." Furthermore, the official stated that it is difficult to disclose specific information about the economic cooperation company that installed the building.

Meanwhile, North Korea demolished the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office and the Kaesong Industrial Complex Comprehensive Support Center buildings in June 2020, four years after the Kaesong Industrial Complex operations were suspended. Earlier this year, the demolition of the remaining debris of the Joint Liaison Office building was completed.

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