The office in the Kaesong border area was demolished by Pyongyang on June 16, 2020.
The ruling “marked the South Korean government’s first victory in a damages suit filed directly against North Korea,” the Korea Herald newspaper reported.
“How Seoul could enforce the judgment remains unclear, as there are currently no practical means of compelling Pyongyang to pay,” the report added.
The case was filed by the South Korean government against the North Korean government in the Seoul Central District Court, which granted the government’s claim in full. Pyongyang will also pay interest until payment is made in full.
Seoul and Pyongyang opened the joint liaison office in September 2018 after former South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed the Panmunjom Declaration in April that year.
However, inter-Korean relations deteriorated under ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and the two sides have yet to resume communication since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year.