Inter-Korean Liaison Office: Its History and Recent Explosion 💥

남북 연락사무소는 무엇인가?

The inter-Korean joint liaison office was blown up by North Korea earlier today. This comes after Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, had warned South Korea that military action would be taken if nothing was done about the anti-Pyeongyang propaganda leaflets sent over the border by North Korean defectors.
But, what was the joint liason office used for?
Our Kim Do-yeon explains.
The now-demolished Inter-Korea Joint Liaison Office was used to exchange messages between the two Koreas for cross-border coordination.
Located at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, the office was run by the Unificiation Ministry from the South and the 'Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland' from the North.
President Moon Jae-in's administration considered it as one of the key achievements that came from the 2018 Panmunjeom Declaration in April that year.
The building itself was once used to hold inter-Korean cooperation meetings until 2016.
After renovation work was carried out, it reopened on September 14th 2018.
The second floor of the building housed South Korean officials whereas the fourth floor was used by their North Korean counterparts.
The two Koreas initially agreed upon around-the-clock, face-to-face communication and a weekly meeting between representatives.
They also first intended to house 15 to 20 personnel each... but in March 2019, the North decided to temporarily withdraw and later returned with fewer representatives.
Experts speculated at the time that this was an expression of discomfort to South Korea's participation in international sanctions placed on the North.
Reports say that more than 14 million U.S. dollars have been spent by the South in renovating and maintaining the facility whereas the North merely provided the space.
The facility has been vacant since January this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News