Seoul Court Orders North Korea to Pay $32.5 Million for Destroying Liaison Office

On September 16, 2026, Seoul Central District Court ordered Pyongyang to pay Seoul 44.6 billion won, about $32.5 million, for destroying the Inter-Korean Liaison Office in Kaesong in June 2020. The office opened in September 2018 and suspended operations in January 2020. Enforcement looks difficult, so the judgment may matter more as a negotiating figure.