Seoul to back companies looking to sue North Korea for using their property without permission
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un speaks to officials at the Mount Geumgang resort on the east coast of North Korea, in this October 2019 photo. Seoul is pushing to hold Pyongyang liable for damaging and using South Korean companies' property there, including the pictured Hotel Haegumgang owned by Hyundai Asan. Yonhap
Satellite images show Hotel Haegumgang demolished at Mount Geumgang resort
By Jung Min-ho
Seoul is pushing to hold Pyongyang liable for damaging and using the property of South Korean companies without their consent at the Mount Geumgang resort in North Korea, officials told The Korea Times, Friday.
This move comes as the Ministry of Unification is looking into the feasibility of taking separate legal action against the North Korean regime over clear violations regarding the property rights of the South Korean companies that own the facilities and equipment at the inter-Korean manufacturing complex in Gaesong, based on intelligence and North Korea's own media reports.
"Our stance is that, if any companies or businesspeople are willing to take legal action [over property damage at the Mount Geumgang resort], we would support them," a ministry official said. "Even if it takes a long time, we will hold North Korea responsible for violating the property rights of our companies and demand compensation."
The previous day, the Voice of America, a U.S.-funded broadcaster, released satellite images showing that Hotel Haegumgang, a floating hotel owned by South Korea's Hyundai Asan, has been removed from the resort area. This immediately resulted in the ministry strongly condemning the move.
The Korea Tourism Organization, a government agency that owns three facilities worth tens of billions of won (tens of millions of dollars) there, is reportedly preparing to seek damages. Speaking to The Korea Times, its representative said it had no specific plan yet.
Some of the facilities seized by North Korea at the Mount Geumgang resort and the Gaeseong Industrial Complex belong to the South Korean government. Yet officials have been cautious about taking the case to court here directly. The reason is that the evidence collected so far shows no visible damage to the facilities it owns, such as a building for the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and a fire station.
Their reluctance suggests the magnitude of the legal challenges faced by those seeking damages from the reclusive and authoritarian state.This July 2022 screenshot from North Korea's official Korean Central Television shows what appears to be a Hyundai bus operating in Gaesong, North Korea. Yonhap
First of all, it would be extremely difficult to secure sufficient evidence to prove North Korea's unlawful activities without actually visiting the location in question, something that the North would likely not allow. Therefore, satellite photos and North Korea's media reports might not be enough to win the case.
Even if the court rules in favor of Seoul, there is an even greater challenge remaining: Making North Korea pay damages. Almost certainly, the regime would not do so, leaving it purely as a symbolic win.
Despite all this, North Korea's devious moves have left the ministry with no other option but to take a tough stance.
In a recent interview with the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, Minister Kwon Young-se said Pyongyang had been seeking to make deals with a third country over the operation of South Korea's property in Gaesong. Such cooperation would be a violation of United Nations sanctions as well as the inter-Korean agreement.
A deal signed by the two Koreas over the joint Gaesong project ― which has been halted since 2016 ― bans any party from nationalizing the property invested by the other. If any country is found to be involved in using South Korean property without its consent, the ministry said it will bring the issue to the United Nations.
- 最近发表
- 随机阅读
-
- CeeDee Lamb secures record
- 三星手机比苹果好吗(三星和苹果的手机总体怎么样)
- 如何删除苹果同步的照片(怎么把已经同步苹果手机里的照片删除)
- 诺基亚6700s当年售价(我想把买诺基亚的6700s,这款手机好么或者有其他更好的)
- The Apple iPod: Pocket Music Before That Phone
- 苹果手机插上耳机没有声音怎么回事(苹果手机突然没声音耳机插上也没有声音怎么办)
- 苹果手机怎么设置拒绝陌生短信(苹果手机4S可以设置拒接陌生短信 下甚么软件!)
- 跪求酷派8811安卓系统中文一键ROOT工具
- A Global Tour of Bakeries With Fascinating Histories
- 天语t260手机怎么用(天语T260手机好么)
- 花呗可以提前全部还款是好是坏(花呗可以提前全部结清吗)
- 为什么都不能用花呗付款(为什么有的时候付款不能用花呗)
- Aricell CEO arrested in first case under industrial accidents law
- 天翼s116可以买股票吗?
- iphone4默认铃声是什么(苹果4手机自带铃音谁有)
- 网贷申请太多怎么办理房贷(网贷申请太多怎么洗白)
- 高燃!哨响表停赛不止,2024广东“村BA”开赛在即,一分钟带你重温高光瞬间。
- 苹果手机怎么充值深圳通(苹果手机怎么充值啊)
- iphone4默认铃声是什么(苹果4手机自带铃音谁有)
- 如何删除苹果同步的照片(怎么把已经同步苹果手机里的照片删除)
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-