North Korea's removal of the remains of the joint liaison office, a sign of the breakdown in inter-Korean relations

South Korea's Ministry of Unification (ministerial equivalent) has announced that North Korea is proceeding with work to remove the remains of the inter-Korean joint liaison office that North Korea blew up in June 2020. On the other hand, the north
North Korea is operating approximately 30 facilities in the Gaesong Industrial Complex where the office was located without permission. South Korea's Yonhap News reports on why North Korea is proceeding with the removal of debris from the office.
``Some believe that this is to prevent unauthorized use of the Kaesong Industrial Complex.'' The inter-Korean joint liaison office held a meeting with the inter-Korean leaders in April 2018, during which then-President Moon Jae-i
It was established in the Kaesong Industrial District on the North Korean side based on the ``Panmunjom Declaration'' jointly announced by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean General Secretary Kim Jung Eun. The entire construction cost will be borne by the South Korean side.
However, the South Korean government invested 10.3 billion won (approximately 1.136 billion yen) in 2018, 5.438 billion won in 2019, and 1.145 billion won in 2020 as of May.
Opened in September 2018, it was used as a place for inter-Korean talks and working-level discussions in various fields such as sports, health/medical care, and communications, and also served as a base for inter-Korean exchanges. Also, initially 1 week
In the past, regular consultations have been held between the North and South representatives of the office, but this was suspended after the US-North Korea summit meeting in February 2019 ended in failure.
In January 2020, in response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the inter-Korean liaison representatives held a meeting to discuss the situation.
It has been decided to temporarily suspend the operation of the liaison office until the Direct telephone lines and fax lines were established between Seoul and Pyongyang, and communication channels between the two Koreas were to be maintained.
In June 2020, North Korea announced the closure of its office in response to South Korean defector groups flying leaflets criticizing Kim Jong Il towards North Korea. Kim Jong Il's younger sister, Yo Jong, said, ``Betrayal''
We must make the thieves and trash realize the magnitude of their sins. Three days later, the incident occurred.
The office was blown up. The footage was streamed around the world and shocked the world. Immediately after, the South Korean government issued a statement saying, ``We make it clear that the responsibility for all problems that arise as a result of this lies entirely with the North Korean side.''
expressed. In June of this year, the South Korean government filed a lawsuit against North Korea for damage to the office and adjacent buildings, seeking 44.7 billion won (approximately 4.89 billion yen) in damages.
A lawsuit was filed at the Seoul Central District Court. At the time of filing the lawsuit, South Korea's Ministry of Unification pointed out, ``The North's violent bombing of the office was a clear illegal act and a violation of inter-Korean agreements such as the Panmunjom Declaration.''
. ``This is an act that fundamentally undermines the foundations of mutual respect and trust between the North and South,'' he said. ``We will resolutely deal with North Korea's violation of property rights of the South Korean government and people, and pursue a principled unification and North Korea policy.''
Through this, we will establish inter-Korean relations based on mutual respect and trust." Under these circumstances, it has been learned that North Korea is proceeding with work to remove the debris left behind after the bombing of the office.
The Ministry of Unification announced this on the 8th of this month. According to the department, efforts to sort out the debris have been confirmed since the beginning of this year, and removal work is still continuing. Koo Byung-sam, a spokesperson for the ministry, said, ``Our property is
"This continues to be a violation of human rights," he said, calling for an immediate halt. Meanwhile, North Korea is operating the facility in the Kaesong Industrial Park where the office was located without permission. Kaesong Industrial Complex is located in North Korea's Kim Kim.
Based on an agreement between National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (both titles were the same at the time), a construction site for South Korean companies was built on the outskirts of Kaesong near the North-South Military Demarcation Line.
Industrial complex. Operations began in 2004 under an agreement in which North Korea provided land and labor, and South Korea provided funding and technology. However, due to deterioration in inter-Korean relations, operations were suspended in 2016.
Ta. Despite this, it has been confirmed that North Korea is using facilities within the complex without permission. According to the Ministry of Unification on the 8th of this month, there are currently approximately 30 facilities operating without permission.
The number of locations has tripled in six months, from about 10 locations in May of this year. While North Korea is proceeding with the removal of the remains of the liaison office, a South Korean newspaper reports that facilities within the complex are being operated without permission.
According to JoongAng Ilbo, research committee member Hong Min of the National Institute for Unification told the paper, ``This is an attempt to show that there is no room for improvement in inter-Korean relations to the point where it is impossible to foresee the reopening of industrial parks in the future.''
It pointed out. Both the liaison office and the industrial park were once symbols of inter-Korean exchange and reconciliation. However, the current situation gives the impression that inter-Korean relations have collapsed.