남북 연락사무소는 무엇인가?<br /><br />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.<br />But, what was the joint liason office used for?<br />Our Kim Do-yeon explains.<br />The now-demolished Inter-Korea Joint Liaison Office was used to exchange messages between the two Koreas for cross-border coordination.<br />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.<br />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.<br />The building itself was once used to hold inter-Korean cooperation meetings until 2016.<br />After renovation work was carried out, it reopened on September 14th 2018.<br />The second floor of the building housed South Korean officials whereas the fourth floor was used by their North Korean counterparts.<br />The two Koreas initially agreed upon around-the-clock, face-to-face communication and a weekly meeting between representatives.<br />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.<br />Experts speculated at the time that this was an expression of discomfort to South Korea's participation in international sanctions placed on the North.<br />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.<br />The facility has been vacant since January this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.<br />Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News<br />
