Seoul: A court in South Korea on Wednesday ordered North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won ($32.5 million) in damages for demolishing an inter-Korean joint liaison office. The office, located in the Kaesong border area, was demolished by Pyongyang on June 16, 2020.

According to Anadolu Agency, this ruling marked the South Korean government's first victory in a damages suit filed directly against North Korea. The Korea Herald reported that the judgment's enforcement remains uncertain, as there are no practical means to compel Pyongyang to pay the ordered sum.

The case was brought by the South Korean government against the North Korean government in the Seoul Central District Court, which ruled in favor of the South Korean government's claim in full. The court also ordered Pyongyang to pay interest until the payment is made in full.

Seoul and Pyongyang had opened the joint liaison office in September 2018 following the Panmunjom Declaration signed by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in April of that year. However, relations between the two nations deteriorated under ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and communication has not resumed since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year.