[Breaking] North Korea Blows Up Kaesong Industrial Complex Liaison Office... Military Alert Heightened

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Military authorities are observing that North Korea blew up the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office on the 16th.

According to military sources on the 16th, loud explosions and smoke were observed in the Kaesong Industrial Complex area in the afternoon, and it is currently reported that the liaison office building is not visible in the area.

The Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office opened in September 2018. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un agreed to establish the liaison office in the Kaesong area through the Panmunjom Declaration on April 27, 2018. Since then, officials from both Koreas have been stationed at the liaison office, enabling 24-hour continuous consultations, which was regarded as a new turning point in inter-Korean communication.

The liaison office building was prepared by renovating a four-story building previously used as the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Consultation Office within the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The South Korean office was on the 2nd floor, the North Korean office on the 4th floor, and the 3rd floor housed the conference room. The inaugural director was from the South, and the deputy director was from the North. Although the inter-Korean directors did not reside permanently at the Kaesong liaison office, they conducted regular weekly meetings and necessary consultations, fulfilling their roles as permanent negotiation representatives. The South Korean side had 30 personnel stationed at the liaison office, including 20 dispatched from related ministries such as the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Forest Service, along with 10 facility maintenance staff. Currently, the office is effectively 'closed.'

Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party in charge of North Korea's inter-Korean affairs, stated in a statement on the night of the 13th, "It seems the time has come to decisively break ties with the South Koreans," and added, "We will soon take the next step." She warned that, first, "Soon, you will witness the miserable sight of the useless North-South Joint Liaison Office collapsing without a trace," signaling the demolition of the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office. Earlier, in a statement released on the 4th, Kim Yo-jong condemned the distribution of leaflets by defectors to North Korea and warned of the complete dismantling of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the nullification of the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, and the closure of the liaison office.