Seoul court orders Pyongyang to pay $32.5m for 2020 liaison office blast

A South Korean court ordered North Korea to pay $32.5 million in damages for the 2020 destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office, marking the first direct damages claim by Seoul against Pyongyang. The ruling is largely symbolic given North Korea's non-participation and lack of assets, but it sets a legal precedent and reflects the conservative government's harder line. The decision may escalate inter-Korean tensions, though North Korea's response is uncertain.