SEOUL – South Korea on Thursday urged North Korea to immediately halt the demolition of facilities used for reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, denouncing it as an “inhumane act” that crushes the long-held hopes of aging Koreans longing to be reunited with loved ones across the heavily fortified border.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul confirmed that North Korea has begun demolishing the family reunion center and its auxiliary buildings in the Mount Kumgang Tourist Region — a symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation — located in Kangwon Province, North Korea.

“The government expresses strong regret over North Korea’s unilateral demolition of the Mount Kumgang Family Reunion Center, which was established through an inter-Korean agreement, and sternly urges an immediate halt to the demolition,” Koo Byung-sam, the Unification Ministry spokesperson, said in a statement.

“The demolition of the Mount Kumgang Family Reunion Center is an inhumane act that tramples on the long-cherished wishes of separated families and constitutes a serious infringement on South Korea’s state-owned property.”

The reunion center and its auxiliary facilities were the last remaining South Korean-owned structures and the final government-held asset in the inter-Korean tourism zone. Their demolition marks Pyongyang’s latest move in its systematic dismantling of South Korean-built facilities.

Built at a cost of 55 billion won ($37.9 million), the site hosted five family reunions: in September 2009, October 2010, February 2014, October 2015 and August 2018 — none have been held since.

As of December 2024, a total of 134,291 South Koreans had applied to reunite with their relatives in the North. However, only 36,941 remain alive, while the rest have passed away, according to the Unification Ministry.

A senior Unification Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the South Korean government detected that North Korean authorities have “recently begun a full-scale dismantling, including the removal of the building’s walls,” but declined to confirm the specific timeframe. Seoul had also detected Pyongyang preparing for the demolition of the buildings “late last year.”

North Korea has begun removing exterior tiles from the reunion center, the main building in the complex, which rises 12 stories above a basement level and includes event halls and 206 guest rooms. Demolition is also underway on the walls of two three-story auxiliary buildings with an underground level, which were designed to house North and South Korean officials.

Koo said the “government will review necessary measures, including legal action and cooperation with the international community” in response to North Korea’s destruction of the facilities.

“North Korea’s unilateral demolition cannot be justified under any pretext, and full responsibility for this situation rests entirely with the North Korean authorities,” Koo added.

North Korea has unilaterally dismantled South Korean properties in the tourist zone, including the floating Haegumgang Hotel, the Ananti Golf and Spa Resort, and a fire station, starting in earnest in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The demolitions have been carried out under North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s directive to tear down South Korean-built facilities, which he dismissed as “shabby structures unpleasant even to look at,” calling for their replacement with modernized infrastructure during his visit to the Mt. Kumgang Tourist Zone in October 2019.

The unnamed ministry official said the demolition of the reunion center aligns with Kim’s order, adding, “We see this as a continuation of that situation.”

Once a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation, the reunion center’s demolition now reflects a deepening divide between the North and South.

In 2003, the two Koreas agreed to build the Mt. Kumgang Family Reunion Center, with construction spanning from August 2005 to July 2008. However, its official opening was halted after a South Korean tourist, Park Wang-ja, was fatally shot by a North Korean soldier at the resort in July 2008.

Following South Korea’s suspension of tourism, North Korea seized five South Korean government-owned properties, including the reunion center, in April 2010.

In September 2018, the Pyongyang Joint Declaration included plans to expeditiously officially open the reunion center, but in October 2019, amid worsening inter-Korean ties following the collapse of the Hanoi summit, North Korea announced plans to demolish South Korean-built structures in the tourism zone.

Asia News Network/The Korea Herald