South Korea claims 30 border facilities under illegal occupation by North Korea

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – South Korea on Friday claimed Pyongyang was illegally occupying 30 of Seoul’s facilities along the border on the North Korean side.

“Despite our repeated urging and warnings, North Korea has continued to infringe on our property rights by using South Korean firms' equipment at the industrial complex without authorization and proceeding with the (debris) demolition work on the liaison office,” said Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson for South’s Unification Ministry.

The facilities are located at a now-closed inter-Korean joint industrial park and Pyongyang was using them “without authorization,” Seoul-based Kyodo News reported.

Koo said North Korea's “illegal acts also constitute a clear violation of inter-Korean agreements,” urging Pyongyang to "immediately stop the acts that violate the property rights of South Korean owners."

Pyongyang personnel were also seen “removing debris” from the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong province that North blew up in 2020.

Seoul’s accusations came after North Korea ended the 2018-signed agreement between the two countries which created buffer zones along land and sea boundaries and no-fly zones above the border.

South had, however, said it partially suspended the pact, before Pyongyang scrapped it altogether.

Seoul's claims came as nuclear envoys of South Korea, Japan and the US met in Tokyo to discuss North Korea's recent launch of military satellite.

The South Korean defense chief also called on the military to “keep a constant state of readiness to retaliate against North Korea, if provoked.”