South Korea 'defies' North Korea's announcement to withdraw staff from joint liaison office
Despite North Korea's announcement that it is withdrawing from the Joint Liaison Office, South Korean officials still go to work at the office.
Dozens of South Korean officials still visited the inter-Korean liaison office in North Korea on March 25, despite North Korea's announcement last week that it was withdrawing its staff from the office.
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| Kaesong area. Photo: Straits Times. |
About 40 South Korean officials crossed the western land border on their way to the joint liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.
About 20 people were also present at the office earlier. According to the South Korean side, the country has about 60 to 70 people working at the office this week.
The inter-Korean joint liaison office opened in September 2018, aiming to promote cross-border exchanges and cooperation between the two sides and reduce tensions by maintaining an open line of communication.
The two sides also agreed to hold a weekly meeting between the heads of the two countries at the office to discuss bilateral issues.
However, North Korea announced last week that it was withdrawing its staff from the office without giving a specific reason. South Korea expressed regret over North Korea's decision and called on North Korea to return soon so that the office can continue operating according to the agreement between the two sides.
According to some experts, North Korea's move may be aimed at increasing pressure on South Korea to persuade the US to lower its demands for stalled nuclear talks. Shortly after North Korea decided to withdraw from the inter-Korean liaison office, US President Donald Trump also announced the withdrawal of a plan to impose additional sanctions on North Korea. This is considered a conciliatory sign from the US, aiming to ensure that nuclear talks continue on the right track.